LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Powerful storms moved through Kentuckiana Tuesday, packing winds toppled semi trucks and launched dumpsters into the road. WDRB's Valerie Chinn surveyed the damage in Louisville's east end.
Tornado sirens were sounding around 11 a.m. as dark clouds were hanging over Kentuckiana.
The strong winds blew semi-trucks over as if they were toys. Two semis blew over on the Gene Snyder Freeway near Brownsboro Road, bringing traffic to a standstill. One driver had to be rescued.
In the same area, another semi was blown into a ditch.
Nearby at the Tennis Club at Springhurst, a huge hole was left in the wall after high winds tore off the side and part of the roof.
Describing the aftermath, Cynthia Frazier says it "looks like a war zone just happened and it all happened in one minute."
The Stony Brook neighborhood at Michael Edwards Drive in Jeffersontown was hit hard, with winds tearing off roofs and siding from homes, uprooting some trees and splitting others in half.
Powerful winds ripped a garage door right off its hinges and left outside swing sets in pieces.
"It sounded like a train -- exactly like they tell you," said Kristi McCartney. "I have a small window in the basement and you could see one tree would fall, another tree would fall and a piece of a roof will blow off."
Charlie Eppinghoff, who lives nearby, had his share of damage. "I've got number of trees down in the yard, some roof damage, boat turned over, and a shed destroyed," he said.
At the height of the storm, about 24,000 LG&E customers throughout Jefferson County.
Hours later, crews continued repairing snapped power lines and even transformers that were damaged by the high winds.
Sandy Callahan wondered if a tornado was to blame.
"I guess a tornado must have come through to do that wouldn't you say," she asked.
It turns out she was right: the National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down near the intersection of I-264 and Brownsboro Road and continued northeast toward the intersection of Hurstbourne and Brownsboro Road.
In the Goose Creek area, huge towering trees came crashing down onto homes.
Windows were blown out, power lines were scattered and trees were blocking roads, making it difficult for people to get home -- including some students from Jefferson County Public Schools who had to be taken to Ballard High School until parents could pick them up.
About 7,000 LG&E customers were still without power around 4 p.m.
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