We all knew that the storms were pretty rough on Monday... now crews are really assesing the damage. Locally, we have one confirmed tornado touchdown... so far!

...NWS STORM SURVEY CONFIRMS EF1 TORNADO IN WHITLEY COUNTY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON KENTUCKY CONFIRMED AN EF1
TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON MONDAY APRIL 4TH. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN
NORTHWEST OF WILLAMSBURG KENTUCKY ALONG BRAYS CHAPEL ROAD AND
REMAINED ON THE GROUND UNTIL JUST WEST OF AIRPORT ROAD. THE TORNADO
CROSSED HIGHWAY 25W AND KENTUCKY 204 WHILE DOWNING AND UPROOTING MANY
TREES AND CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO SEVERAL BARNS AND
OUTBUILDINGS IN ITS PATH. ADDITIONAL STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE
OCCURRED JUST EAST OF WHERE THE TORNADO LIFTED...FROM AROUND AIRPORT
ROAD EAST OVER INTERSTATE 75.

THE DETAILS OF THE TORNADO AND ITS PATH:

DATE: APRIL 4TH 2011
TIME: TOUCHDOWN AROUND 503PM EDT
EF-SCALE: EF-1
ESTIMATED MAX WINDS: 90-95 MPH
PATH LENGTH: ABOUT 1.75 MILES
PATH WIDTH: ABOUT 0.50 MILES
INJURIES: NONE
FATALITIES: NONE

Other areas toured have been determined straight-line wind damage.

...NWS STORM SURVEY CONFIRMED STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE IN PIKE
COUNTY...

ON TUESDAY APRIL 5TH...A TEAM COMPRISED OF PERSONNEL FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...PIKE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND
PIKEVILLE PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR SURVEYED DAMAGE IN AN AREA ALONG
HIGHWAY 23 EXTENDING FROM COAL RUN TO ABOUT 2 MILES NORTH OF DOWNTOWN
PIKEVILLE.

NUMEROUS TREES WERE EITHER UPROOTED...SPLIT OR SNAPPED ACROSS THE
AREA. A LARGE TREE HAD DOWNED POWER LINES AND UTILITY POLES IN ONE
NEIGHBORHOOD. IN ADDITION...THERE WAS ROOF DAMAGE TO A SKATING RINK
AND A PEPSI PLANT IN COAL RUN. ROOF DAMAGE WAS FOUND AT A MACHINE
SHOP AND A SELF STORAGE FACILITY AS WELL...ALSO IN COAL RUN. THE
DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...OR A STRONG
DOWNBURST OF WINDS FROM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MOVED QUICKLY
THROUGH THE AREA AT 630 PM EDT ON THE EVENING OF APRIL 4. PEAK WINDS
DURING THE EVENT WERE ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND 80 MPH.

The next few days will be much nicer and calmer! It looks like highs will climb back into the 60s with plenty of sunshine. By Thursday we'll be back in the 70s with a few more clouds around late in the day.

I'll have another update out for you on Wednesday.

C-Ya Bye