| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | May 28,1996 |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 11 |
| Maximum rating | F4 tornado |
| Duration | 3 hours,55 minutes |
| Overall effects | |
| Injuries | 11 |
| Damage | 102.01 Million USD (1996 dollars) [1] |
The May 1996 Kentucky tornado outbreak was a small outbreak of tornadoes that occurred in Central and northern Kentucky on May 28,1996. The outbreak resulted in over $100 million in damages. [1]
| F4 tornado | |
|---|---|
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Overall effects | |
| Injuries | 10 |
| Damage | $100 million (1996 USD} |
After touching down,the tornado downed thousands of trees in Jefferson Memorial Forest (far southern Jefferson County) before it passed over I-65 at the Brooks exit,where it overturned five tractor-trailers and damaged an Arby's,a Cracker Barrel,and a Budgetel Inn. From there it moved east through the towns of Pioneer Village,Hillview,and Mount Washington at F4 intensity. The tornado,at times half a mile wide,then proceeded into Spencer County where it narrowly missed the county seat of Taylorsville before finally,after thirty miles and over an hour of destruction,it dissipated near Little Mount. [2] [3]
More than a thousand homes were damaged or destroyed,with the value of property damaged estimated at over US$100 million (1996 dollars). Many of these homes were large,expensive,and well-built. In spite of all the destruction,only ten injuries occurred,with the worst injury being a man treated for broken ribs. [4] This tornado was later rated EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale in 2022. [5]