Six tornadoes confirmed in Louisville area Sunday as storms move through region
Six tornadoes hit the Louisville area Sunday, according to surveys from the National Weather Service.
The weather service on Wednesday confirmed a sixth EF-1 tornado in Edwardsville, Indiana with peak winds of 90 mph, that caused some damage at McCarthy Knob Road. The tornado moved on to cause widespread tree damage along the road. Trees were snapped, twisted and uprooted for about half a mile, ending near the intersection of Budd Road, the weather service said. At least one home was damaged and several power lines and poles were down.
By Tuesday, the weather service had confirmed an EF-0 tornado in Shelbyville after storms came through the region mid-morning Sunday. Winds peaked at 75 mph and caused minor damage to buildings in its path toward Taylorsville Road. The agency had previously confirmed four other tornadoes had hit the region.
On Monday, an EF-1 tornado that originated near Georgetown, Indiana, was confirmed. It touched down Sunday morning and traveled under a mile along Hamby Road, according to Jessica Lee with the National Weather Service. A storm survey is ongoing, but Lee said peak winds were tracked at 90 mph. Another tornado was confirmed that had touched down near Georgetown, Indiana – an EF-0 tornado with 80 mph winds.
Two other tornadoes were confirmed earlier Sunday, with one occurring in New Albany, Indiana, causing widespread damage in the small city, including parts of the Indiana University Southeast campus. Peak winds were estimated at 105 mph. Another originated in Southern Floyd County with damage occurring at The Sporting Club at the Farm.
One of the tornadoes was also found to have traveled into western Louisville from Floyd County and caused damage in the Lake Dreamland area, Lee said.
"Several power lines were snapped and multiple large trees were uprooted, causing major damage to some homes and prompting road closures," according to a statement from the city's Facebook page.
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About 10 residents have been temporarily displaced after The Carriage House Apartments sustained roof damage to at least one building, the statement said.
"I am shocked at the amount of damage and how quickly this storm rolled in,” said Mayor Jeff Gahan. “Many thanks to our safety officials for their quick response. I also really appreciate Duke Energy’s and Centerpoint’s effort to restore power and gas to the residents as quickly as possible. I am very grateful no one was hurt, and we had emergency personnel on the scene when we needed them.”
Nearly 10,000 people around Lexington and Louisville were without power Sunday morning, according to Louisville Gas & Electric's power outage map. On Monday afternoon, that number had dropped to about 400.
A NWS storm survey this afternoon found evidence an EF-1 tornado impacted portions of the Indiana University Southeast campus in New Albany. Estimated peak winds were 105 mph. #INwx pic.twitter.com/3JcSCLJo2e
— NWS Louisville (@NWSLouisville) May 7, 2023
Due to a weather event, the area of Grantline Rd near IUS and from the I-265 interchange and Klerner Ln is shut down. Power is out in the area and there are power lines down. The public is advised to stay clear of this area until further notice. pic.twitter.com/HWFwJBqfZn
— New Albany, IN (@NewAlbanyIN) May 7, 2023
@BryceJonesWx McConnell drive pic.twitter.com/E1z4AwHfwt
— Laura Anderson (@andersons0911) May 7, 2023
What's the forecast in Louisville this week?
Wednesday: Sunny with a high near 79. East wind 3 to 7 mph.
Wednesday night: Partly cloudy with a low around 55. Northeast wind around 6 mph.
Thursday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Partly sunny with a high near 84. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming south in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 8 a.m, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., then showers and thunderstorms likely after 5 p.m. Mostly cloudy with a high near 80. South wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Friday night: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 11 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 11 p.m. Mostly cloudy with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Saturday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m., then scattered showers and thunderstorms between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., then scattered showers after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy with a low around 64. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday: Scattered showers then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m., then scattered showers. Mostly cloudy with a low around 58. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
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Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville weather: Tornadoes, power outages and thunderstorms
