Straight Line Wind Damage in Bracken and Lewis counties in Kentucky

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
905 PM EST Fri Mar 3 2017

...STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE CONFIRMED IN BRACKEN AND LEWIS 
COUNTIES...

The National Weather Service in Wilmington OH has completed a 
storm damage survey for Bracken and Lewis Counties in Kentucky. 
The survey is in relation to the severe thunderstorms that moved 
through the area on March 1 2017.

In Bracken County, several barns were severely damaged along KY 
Route 8. The barns looked as if they were collapsed by strong 
west winds. Another barn was destroyed on Eden Ridge Road. 
Several large trees were down throughout the county. Also, a house
on Snag Creek Road had major damage with a large section of the 
roof missing. A large swath of damage with numerous trees laying 
in the road was located along KY Route 8 just west and including 
Snag Creek Road. Based on the above damage, winds were estimated 
at 70 to 80 mph.

In Lewis County, several large trees were blown down or uprooted 
in the eastern part of the county. Also, a few large very well 
constructed barns were shifted 6 to 8 feet off their foundations 
with the opposite walls severely buckled. One of these barns had 
the roof completely blown off and large sections of the siding 
missing. All the debris from the above barns was scattered in 
fields to the east. Several smaller barns in this same area were 
completely destroyed. 

Numerous trees were down along Buck Lick Branch Road, five miles 
south-southeast of Tollesboro. Several homes in this neighborhood
had minor damage. A brick home had the roof completely blown off.
Interestingly, the only room in this house which did not sustain 
damage was an interior bathroom. A 2 by 4 from the roof of this 
house was blown approximately 100 yards to the east, piercing 
through a bedroom on the front of another brick house. Also, on 
the front of this same house, a large window facing west was blown
into the house along with the front door. This allowed the wind 
to enter the house to do further damage. The roof was lifted but 
not detached. The force of the wind inside the house caused the 
brick foundation on the north side of the house to bulge and fail 
over a significant area. Debris from the house and associated shed
was scattered in a field to the east of the house.

A church on Mount Zion Road had a storage structure lifted up 
over the church and into the church cemetery. On Kentucky 989 just
west of Burtonville, the top third of a silo was destroyed and 
blown to the east toppling onto another structure. Also, two other
barns were destroyed. Wind estimates from the Lewis county damage
was between 80 to 90 mph. 

The National Weather Service would like to thank Bracken and 
Lewis County Emergency Management and a number of the local people
for the assistance they provided. 

$$