NWS survey teams checking out possible tornado and 126-mph straight line winds

The National Weather Service office in Paducah has already sent out teams to survey storm damage across western Kentucky after severe thunderstorms generated exceptionally strong staight-line winds and possible tornadoes.

But even before going outside, meteorologists saw on radar that some Graves County residents apparently experienced a very rare one-two punch late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

A radar image captured at 12:02 am shows a residual tornado circulation near Viola. But at the same time, just behind the tornado is a very large area of extreme straight-line wind. The winds peak on the radar at 126 mph just 400 feet above the ground. 

The peak of the tornado circulation just based on radar would indicate a potential EF-1 tornado around 90-115 mph. But the straight-line winds indicated on radar here are 126 mph. 

So, a few folks in northwestern Graves County and eastern Carlisle County may have experienced a tornado, only to see even stronger straight-line winds just 11 minutes later.

As storm survey teams return from their travels, they'll draw a clearer picture of the scope of the strength and damage from our latest batch of severe weather.


Radar image shows area of tornadic rotation near Viola, closely followed by brutal straight line winds indicated on radar at 126 miles per hour. (NWS Paducah)