The southern Pennyrile region dodged the bullet on severe weather Thursday, but other places in western Kentucky were not so lucky.
Kentucky State Police say a confirmed tornado touched down at about 9:20 a.m. in West Paducah. Approximately five square miles of western McCracken County were affected, including the Mt. Zion Pre-School Center on Blandville Road. That building was damaged in the tornado, but all 40 children and the staff avoided injury.
The Mt. Zion Baptist Church had its roof blown off in the twister. About a dozen homes sustained major damage and dozens more sustained minor damage. Four cows were killed near Lovelaceville.
The National Weather Service office in Paducah tweeted out an urgent message for residents there to take cover during the storm, saying their building narrowly avoided being hit.
A National Weather Service survey team classified the tornado as an EF2 with maximum winds of 125 mph. It was on the ground for about 17 miles and had a maximum width of 300 yards.
One man sustained non-life-threatening injuries when a grain bin was blown onto his truck on US Highway 62.
American Red Cross responded to assist anyone displaced by the tornado and they opened an evacuation center at Broadway United Methodist Church.
The McCracken County Judge Executive’s Office declared a state of emergency.
A tornado was also reported just northwest of Morganfield in Union County and a tractor-trailer was overturned on KY 109 between Sturgis and Henshaw, according to WMSK radio. There were no reports of injuries there.
Christian and surrounding counties were under a tornado watch for much of the day, but it was canceled when the line dissipated and moved to the north.
Gusty winds outside of thunderstorms caused numerous power outages in Trigg County and a few in Christian and Todd. There were as many as 2,000 Pennyrile Electric members in the dark at one time during the afternoon.
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