Southern Indiana tornado track of 25.89 miles sets record
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WISH) — A tornado that hit early Monday morning in southern Indiana was determined to have the longest track on record for an August twister in the area served by the National Weather Service office in Louisville, Kentucky.
The tornado was one of six to hit early Monday in southern Indiana, the office reported in an update issued Friday. On Thursday, the weather service had reported only four tornadoes from the early Monday storm.
The record-setting tornado traveled 25.89 miles and had maximum winds at 107 mph. The tornado traveled from just west of U.S. 31 in northern Dubois County to just southwest of Paoli in Orange County.
The Louisville office serves 49 Kentucky counties plus the Indiana counties of Clark, Crawford, Dubois, Floyd, Harrison, Jefferson, Orange, Perry, Scott and Washington.
Here are the six tornadoes listed from the weather service on Friday, with changes from Thursday’s information updated:
12:24 a.m., Haysville, Dubois County, to Paoli, Orange County
- Estimated peak winds: 107 mph (Enhanced Fujita scale rating of EF-1).
- Injuries/deaths: none reported.
- Path length: 25.89 mile.
- Maximum width: 110 yards.
The record-setting tornado started 1 mile west-northwest of the unincorporated community of Haysville, and traveled from just west of U.S. 31 in northern Dubois County to just southwest of Paoli in Orange County. The weather service did not publicly post a specific survey report on its website for this tornado.
12:45 a.m., French Lick, Orange County
- Estimated peak winds: 107 mph (EF-1).
- Injuries/deaths: none reported.
- Path length: 0.98 of a mile.
- Maximum width: 40 yards.
The weather service did not publicly post a specific survey report on its website for this tornado.
12:53-12:55 a.m., north Paoli, Orange County
- Estimated peak winds: 100 mph (EF-1).
- Injuries/deaths: not reported.
- Path length: 1 mile.
- Maximum width: 110 yards.
A tornado touched down in the hamlet of Braxtons Siding, which is a mile south-southwest of Paoli, and lifted a mile north-northeast of the Orange County town. The tornado traveled through the north side of Paoli, and damaged trees and left some on homes. Power lines also were downed.
“The peak of the tornado damage was on the east side of Indiana 37 between Locust Street and Oak Street. Several warehouses had significant roof damage with debris thrown from east southeast to north northeast. There were several cars that had debris on the west and east side of them. The debris from the warehouse was thrown into a forested area up to 200 yards in distance,” the weather service survey says.
12:53 a.m., west of downtown Paoli, Orange County
- Estimated peak winds: 100 mph (EF-1).
- Injuries/deaths: not reported.
- Path length: 8.74 miles.
- Maximum width: 200 yards.
The tornado touched down just west of downtown Paoli continuing east along State Road 56 before lifting a mile from the Washington County line. The weather service did not publicly post a specific survey report on its website for this tornado.
12:53-12:54 a.m., south Paoli, Orange County
- Estimated peak winds: 85 mph (EF-0).
- Injuries/deaths: none.
- Path length: 0.56 of a mile.
- Maximum width: 60 yards.
The tornado touched down about a mile south-southeast of Paoli and lifted a mile southeast of the city.
The weather service survey says, “There was plenty of straight-line tree damage from just south of the courthouse in Paoli all the way to the Pioneer Mothers Park of Hoosier National Forest. Across from the park (west side of Indiana Hwy 37) at a residence, there were many trees and large limbs down from straight-line winds (west to the east direction) of 65 mph on the south side of the property and further south on Indiana Hwy 37.
“However on the north side of the property, cedar trees were twisted and debris thrown to a north-northeasterly direction. A sycamore tree was snapped with debris going from the east-northeast all the way to a northerly direction.”
Hikers provided the weather service with photos from Pioneer Mothers Park trail, which was impassible due to the twisted trees.
1:13-1:15 a.m., near Salem, Washington County
- Estimated peak winds: 90 mph (EF-1).
- Injuries/deaths: none.
- Path length: 1.78 miles.
- Maximum width: 60 yards.
The tornado touched down 2 miles west-southwest of Salem and lifted a mile west-northwest of the Washington County city.
“The first tornadic damage was a few trees down off Country Club Road going into the Western Hills Golf Course. There was damage to the garage roofing structure at the Salem Speedway. The tornado was intermittent as it straddled Indiana Hwy 56 in the west side of Salem,” the weather service survey said.
“The most significant amount of damage from the tornado was between Hwy 56 and Old State Route 60. There was plenty of damage to the siding, gutters, and to several businesses roofing structures. Debris from the buildings was thrown in a northerly to easterly direction about 150 yards. Winds were 90 mph with a width of 60 yards. There were several snapped and topped power poles and lines as well.”
The tornado also snapped and uprooted trees between Old State Road 60 and North Cox Ferry Road.
Salem suffered damage from straight-line winds during the storm.