National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

An EF-0 Tornado Briefly touched down northwest of Irvine, Kentucky in Estill County late in the afternoon on Friday, May 8th, 2009.

A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team investigated storm damage in Estill County that occurred late in the afternoon on Friday, May 8th. The survey team found damage that confirmed an EF-0 intensity tornado briefly touched down in Estill County.

This tornado was a separate tornado produced by the same storm that had earlier produced an EF-3 intensity tornado in Madison County Kentucky.

The tornado touched down just west of Sand Hill road South of Lower Bend and North of the intersection of Sand Hill Road and Cobb Ford Road. The tornado uprooted and damaged multiple trees...one of which fell onto the porch of a home resulting in a roof collapse. A large branch was snapped off one tree and thrown through the rear passenger window of an empty parked SUV.

The tornado moved to the northeast and remained on the ground for less than two minutes while traveling less than one-quarter of a mile. during this time on the ground...two additional structures had metal rooding torn off or damaged by the tornado. Several trees were also damaged or uprooted while the tornado whas on the ground.  The tornado lifted before reaching the Kentucky River.

Detailed Information is Below:

Begin Time: Approximately 523 PM EDT

End Time: Approximately 525 PM EDT

Location Begin: West of Sand Hill Road and South of Lower Bend

Location End: East of Sand Hill Road and West of the Kentucky River

EF-Scale Rating: EF-0

Estimated Wind Speeds: 70-80 MPH

Path Length: Less than 0.5 miles

Path Width: Around 50 Yards

Injuries: None

Fatalities: None