Wind Damage in Indiana and Kentucky on April 12, 2019

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
637 PM EDT Fri Apr 12 2019

...UPDATED DAMAGE SURVEY SUMMARY FOR APRIL 12 2019 EVENT...

A National Weather Service Storm Survey team has determined that 
damage in Kenton County Kentucky, Switzerland County Indiana, and 
Gallatin County Kentucky was caused by straight-line thunderstorm 
winds. 

Location...Erlanger and Edgewood in Kenton County Kentucky
Date...April 12 2019
Estimated Time...752 am EDT
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...60 to 70 mph.

Location...South of Patriot in Switzerland County Indiana 
Date...April 12 2019 
Estimated Time...735 am EDT 
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...70 to 80 mph.

Location...Warsaw in Gallatin County Kentucky
Date...April 12 2019
Estimated Time...727 am EDT
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...70 to 80 mph.

The survey team focused on two areas of damage.  

The first area began a couple miles west of Warsaw and continued
east northeast through the town of Warsaw, then across the Ohio
River into extreme southeast Switzerland County south of Patriot.
This area of damage consisted of mainly tree damage, a barn which 
was collapsed, several outbuildings which were damaged, boat docks 
tipped over, minor residential roof damage including shingles and 
tin material removal, and numerous tree limbs snapped up with a few 
trees uprooted. Much of the tree damage was to softwoods including 
Bradford Pear trees, and pine trees. A few recreational vehicles 
/boats and RVs/ were also tipped over. The damage was determined to 
be non-tornadic along the length of the survey, being broad 
laterally without defined lateral bounds, and not showing any 
convergence or cross-axis component to the debris field. Also, 
damage was sporadic along the path. There were no indications of 
significant debris uplift along the length of the path beyond 
traditional light roofing material which is easily lofted in both 
tornadic and non-tornadic situations, or indications of debris 
spatter. Most roofing material was pushed downwind, and not lifted 
substantially and thrown to a substantial degree in a cross-axis 
component. The damage path did not have the choppy/blended 
appearance of previously surveyed weak tornadoes in this wind speed 
range. Damage along the path is consistent with winds of 60 to 70 
mph, although a few very isolated locations had damage indicators 
suggesting winds from 70 to 80 mph. 

The second area of damage surveyed was in Kenton County near 
Erlanger and Edgewood.  There were several areas surveyed, including 
Royal Oak Court, Larkspur Court, Woodlyn Hills, and White Oak. 
Damage in these areas consisted of a garage roof which had been 
removed with wall collapse, and numerous homes with 
shingle/soffit/fascia/chimney damage and some tree damage.  Damage 
in these areas was also non-tornadic in nature, with no defined 
lateral bounds to the damage, nor any convergent damage pattern 
seen. Damage here was also rather sporadic in nature, and also 
confined to mostly homes on higher ridges. The damage in this area 
was consistent with wind speeds from 60 to 70 mph.   

The National Weather Service would like to thank the Switzerland 
County Emergency Management Agency, the Gallatin County Emergency 
Management Agency, and the Kenton County Emergency Management Agency 
for considerable assistance and support during this survey.  

* The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the events and publication in NWS
Storm Data.

$$

Binau/Franks