LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- At least six tornadoes are confirmed from Tuesday's storms in Kentucky as National Weather Service surveyors continue to tour the damage.

Surveys confirmed an EF1 tornado with 95 mile-per-hour winds hit near the Nelson County town of Chaplin, Kentucky. The NSW said an EF1 touched down in Anderson County with 95 mile-per-hour winds, an EF1 tornado was confirmed in Jessamine County with 110 mile-per-hour winds, another tornado touched down in Bourbon County with 95 mile-per-hour winds and another hit Mason County in northeastern Kentucky.

Around Louisville, the survey team confirmed Wednesday afternoon that an EF1 hit Henry County with maximum winds of 110 miles per hour and another tornado that hit Clark County, Indiana, and Oldham County, Kentucky. It's unsure yet if that tornado is the same one that continued on into Henry County.

NWS meteorologist John Gordon said Wednesday that more surveys are planned in communities reporting damage including Oldham, Jefferson, Henry and Bourbon counties in Kentucky. Teams will also be in southern Indiana counties including Clark, Jefferson, Washington Scott, Crawford, Harrison and Floyd.

WDRB Meteorologists Hannah Strong and Bryce Jones said the damage reported in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and Prospect, Kentucky, were likely from the same tornado. 

Straight line wind damage has also been confirmed in the Kentucky counties of Fayette, Woodford, Mercer and Spencer.


'Like a war zone'

All across Kentuckiana crews continued the cleanup progress that began Tuesday night. In Prospect, neighbors had chainsaws and leaf blowers going Wednesday morning while contractors also descended on the area to help.

The storms peeled off roofs and there was splintered trees and debris everywhere. One home was covered with insulation from a neighboring home. 

"It could have been a lot worse," said Perry Snowden, a Prospect resident. "It took out the whole top room and the dining room as well. It could have been a lot worse. Things can be replaced. People can't."

Crews are now working to restore power and inspecting homes to make sure they're structurally sound. 

Henry County Storm Damage

A National Weather Service survey team confirmed Wednesday afternoon that an EF1 hit Henry County with maximum winds of 110 miles per hour. April 3, 2024. (WDRB Photo)

"We dealt with what was in front of us," Prospect Mayor Doug Farnsley said. "We knew we didn't have injuries. The magnitude of it didn't hit me until today."

A family in Henry County decided to gather Tuesday night to celebrate a birthday at the only house on a 33-acre property that has a basement. The plot of land has migrated through three generations.

"We were gonna eat around 6 for my brother's birthday, which was actually Monday," Deeanne Whitaker West said. "My mom decided to cook on Monday instead of cooking on Tuesday. I'm thankful she did, because had she not, my brother and sister-in-law and nephew would not have been here. Their house was destroyed. It's gone."

The storm destroyed a barn, ripped the roof of a home and yanked off siding in the area. A modular home on the property was tossed into a wooded area, clothes flung into the trees.

"When we came out, the devastation was ... it looked like a war zone," Whitaker West said.


Roofing companies have been working non-stop through the afternoon to get things cleaned up.

Jeffersonville, Utica and Prospect hit hard by severe storms

Jeffersonville and Utica in southern Indiana and Prospect on the other side of the Ohio River were hit hard by severe weather.

People in Jeffersonville worked to clean up storm damage on Wednesday.

"As a kid, I was always fascinated with them (storms) but that fascination ended yesterday," said Fred Parker, a Jeffersonville resident. "We tried to help my neighbor, a couple down the road. But the police out here were fantastic, trying to help everybody, taking down notes on the damage. They said to be careful."

Gordon said Jeffersonville was hit hard.

"That's the real bad damage, what happened is there was a spoil over here like an old anchor," Gordon said. "It went flying, hit the roof and impaled it, and blew out the roof on the downwind side of the river, and went to the river."

In Jeffersonville's Crystal Springs area, dozens of homes had temporary patching up high and then tossed around sheds and furniture.

"I lucked out in the intersection where the semis flipped about 15 minutes prior to that," Bruce Houston, who lives in Quarry Bluff Estates, said. "Got away unscathed."

The Hunting Creek neighborhood had numerous trees down. Roofing companies were working non-stop on Wednesday to get things back to normal. Trees were also being cut up and hauled away, while people picked up scattered installation. 

"Amazing how fast everybody got on the job and how much everybody is helping each other," said John Gallagher, a Hunting Creek resident. "It is just amazing."

Some homes in Quarry Bluff Estates were covered with blue tarps to slow the rain fall.

The Sutherland neighborhood in Prospect also had several old large trees snapped in half by the storms.


A father was trapped in a truck with his two children as severe weather stormed through southern Indiana on Tuesday evening.

Southern Indiana father, 2 children survive severe storm inside truck 'twist' by strong winds

A father was trapped in a truck with his two children as severe weather stormed through southern Indiana on Tuesday evening.

At least three tornadoes are confirmed from Tuesday's storms in Kentuckiana as National Weather Service surveyors continue to tour the damage.

Ethan Williams was caught in a possible tornado with tow of his children in his truck Tuesday evening. He leaving Charlestown to pick up his daughter in La Grange, Kentucky. 

Williams was trying to get on Interstate 265 across the Lewis and Clark Bridge. Williams' daughter spotted debris a little before they reached the intersection.

"You couldn't tell a distinct tornado, it just looked like heavy rain until the debris started flying and wind picked up," Williams said. "I hadn't checked the weather since earlier that morning, so I hadn't realized the time-frame of when it was coming or how severe it may have been."

Williams had an uneasy feeling as the storm passed over the area with his eight and 10-year-old in the truck.

"I was not very thrilled to have my children there in that moment," Williams said. "The goal was to make that left and get on the interstate and speed out of harms way."

The wind twisted his truck 90 degrees, which can be seen in the video. 

"The moment that you see it turning to the right, I was just comforting my children and holding them," Williams said. "We had our heads tucked below the windows and we had braced at that movement to ride it out."

After the storm passed through the area, Williams checked on three people in a nearby overturned vehicle. He said none of the people had major injuries, but one struggled to get out of the car.

His truck's passenger door window had some damage and the bed cover on his truck is gone, but he feels lucky to have made it out all right. 

"It gives you a different perspective on the strength of these storms," Williams said.

On his way home, Williams saw downed trees, lots of traffic, and several overturned semis, including one driven by his family friend Mike Walkenhorst.

"I think my windows started to crack right before I went over," Walkenhorst said. "I didn't even rock. As soon as it hit, I just toppled. It was it was quick."

The Mister "P" Express driver was in one of four overturned semi-trucks in Jeffersonville. After the crash, he had stitches in his elbow, road rash on his back, and feels pretty sore. However, Walkenhorst is thankful he made it home to his fiancé.

"I was wondering if I would have kept moving would it have made a difference," Walkenhorst said. "But, I was told that there were other people to try to outrun it and flipped over."

Both Walkenhorst and Williams aren't taking their safety for granted, and they hope to never again become unintentional storm chasers.

"I've already told my children that if it's raining, we're staying home," Williams said. "If there's any risk of severe weather, we won't be on the roads."

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