Tornado and hail leave extensive damage in multiple Kentucky, Indiana counties

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A tornado touched down Thursday afternoon near the Ohio River in Milton, Kentucky, leaving extensive damage across several counties, including in nearby Madison, Indiana. 

Hours after the storm, the National Weather Service confirmed at least one EF-1 tornado touched down in Milton, Kentucky, but later said it was at least an EF-2 tornado. The NSW survey is ongoing. 

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said tornadoes touched down in Gallatin and Trimble Counties and there was a possible tornado in Carroll County. Verbal emergency declarations have been issued for all three counties. 

“It does appear that there is some really significant damage, especially to the town of Milton in Trimble County,” Gov. Beshear said in a statement. “We are going to work to do everything we can to help those impacted – and we think there are over 100 structures that are potentially damaged. Our job is to make sure that no Kentuckian is alone, especially in these difficult times.”

Beshear said he has been in direct contact with mayors and county judges. He said as of Thursday evening there were no reports of fatalities or missing persons. 

In southern Indiana, Jefferson County Sheriff Ben Flint said many homes in that area were damaged including some in Hanover. He said first responders are checking homes and other buildings. As checks continued, he said there hadn't been any injuries reported. 

Flint asked for people to stay away from damaged areas of Jefferson County, Indiana including the Pleasant Ridge Road area. He said law enforcement will be patrolling to prevent looting.

Friday morning, John Gordon with the National Weather Service in Louisville said surveys now indicate an EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of 110 mph touched down. Gordon said that was the tornado’s strength at the beginning of its path. Crews are working east along the path and will have more specific wind speeds at various locations throughout the day.

Indiana State Police Sgt. Stephen Wheeles said multiple tornadoes reportedly touched down around Jefferson County, Indiana. A post on social media said multiple homes were damaged, trees and powerlines were down and power was out across the area. 

WDRB viewers reported trees down and 3-inch hail at Pleasant Ridge Road, east of Madison, in Jefferson County. There were also reports of large hail and trees down from what they believe to be a tornado that hit the Hunters' Heights area on Mitchell Road, which is between Milton and Carrollton.

The state of Indiana asks Jefferson County residents only to report storm damage by calling 211 or vising the Indiana 211 website. Residents in other counties should report damage to their local emergency manager. 

Kentucky's Emergency Operations Center has been activated to coordinate state and local response. Three urban search teams are on standby, including teams from Jefferson County, Northern Kentucky and the Ashland Fire Department. 

There are additional reports of damage in Carroll County, Kentucky, which is just across the river from Madison.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet issued a travel advisory in Carroll County about a major traffic artery impacted by the storm. It said KY-36 between Milton and Carrollton because of downed trees and power lines. It advised drivers to find another route. 

Power outages reported

Duke Energy map showed more than 2,000 outages in Jefferson County, Indiana. The LG&E/KU map shows outages in Trimble, Gallatin, Carroll, Owen and Grant counties in Kentucky. 

The Shelby Energy Cooperative, which serves Trimble and Carroll Counties said storm damage to transmission lines means that its 3,000 members need to make arrangements to be without power at least through Thursday night. The cooperative's crews are accessing the damaged lines to safely make repairs. 

The Milton Fire & Rescue said power will be out in Milton at least through Thursday night. If anyone in the area has medical or other immediate needs, please contact Fire and Rescue president Emily McQueary at 502-663-1693.

The fire department said Trimble County EMS transported two patients to the hospital with injuries, but no additional details were given. 

People are being asked to avoid downtown Milton through Thursday night. The post by Milton Fire said 421 and the Milton-Madison Bridge were open, but law enforcement was conducting traffic control. 

City of Milton water users are also being asked to conserve water usage, if possible. With a long power outage expected, the city is trying to bring in backup power for the pumps. 

Schools impacted by the storm

A post social media by the Madison Consolidated Schools said buses were delayed, but students were headed home. The post warned families that students could be late. 

"Please be patient as we will likely be delayed as we navigate debris and roadways," according to the post. 

Carroll County Schools said its schools dismissed at 3 p.m. It advised on social media that buses may be late: "If buses encounter debris that prevents travel, they will return to school."

Trimble County Public Schools said its buses would likely be late Thursday evening. The district said it was waiting to dismiss school until students participating in ILead and ATC programs in Carrollton had returned safely. The students were forced to shelter in place until the storm passed.  

Hanover University's vice president of enrollment and marketing said the campus had no damage, but the power was out and probably would be for a while. 

Safety tips from transportation officials 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet wants residents to be aware if they're traveling on area roads and watch out for downed trees and other debris. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), officials shared tips for driving safely after a storm.

If there's a downed power line in the road, KYTC advises drivers to: 

• Never touch or drive over a fallen line, report the issue to the power company
• Do not drive through standing water in case there is a downed line in it
• Stay inside your vehicle if a line has fallen on it as the ground may be energized. Sound your horn, call for help and call 911
• Assume all downed power lines are live and do not attempt to move one, even with non-conductive materials like wood or cloth

Additionally, power outages may cause issues for traffic lights. KYTC said when a light is blinking yellow, proceed through the signal intersection with caution when traffic allows. When a light is flashing red, treat the signaled intersection as a stop sign. When a light is completely out, treat the intersection like a 4-way stop sign.

Share images and video with WDRB

If you have pictures of damage, once it is safe to do so, please email webteam@wdrb.com. 

This story will continue to be updated. 

Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.