UPDATE: Two EF-1 tornadoes confirmed in Madison, Jessamine, Garrard also checked, NWS says

UPDATE POSTED 10:30 a.m. MONDAY, DEC. 20, 2021

MADISON, JESSAMINE, GARRARD COUNTIES, Ky. (WTVQ) – National Weather Service survey teams have confirmed not one but two EF-1 tornadoes on the morning of Dec. 11, 2021 in Madison County and one hit Garrard County although all the details of that touch down have not been finalized.

The weather service announced Monday the damage done along Highway 595 north of the Kirksville community was done by an EF-1 tornado. Along a short stretch of Highway 595, a number of trees were snapped off, at least three barns were flattened of heavily-damaged and a 150-year-old home had its roof ripped off. The suffered other heavy damage as nine people — five children and two sets of parents — hunkered down in the basement. Several vehicles also were damaged.

Meanwhile, crews determined another funnel did damage about five miles north/northwest of Richmond. At least one mobile home was damaged.

And another funnel with 90 mph winds hit in Garrard County. More details are expected on that case.

According to the weather service:

1st: EF-1 with max wind gusts of 90 mph. This storm occurred at 4:31 AM 5 mi. NNW of Richmond along I-75 and Colonel Road. The path had a max width of 125 yards and the tornado traveled 0.5 miles.

2nd: EF-1 with max wind gusts of 90 mph. It is to be determined when this storm occurred but happened in the Kirksville area of Madison County. The  tornado traveled 0.25 miles and the width is still TBD.

Crews also are checking some areas in Jessamine County for possible tornadoes that came out of Taylor County into Boyle and other counties.

UPDATE POSTED 3 P.M. FRIDAY, DEC. 17, 2021

KIRKSVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) – The National Weather Service will be in Madison County next week to determine if a tornado caused the damage in the Kirksville community. The NWS also now says as many as

Mapped released Friday by the National Weather Service offers more insight into tornado outbreak, including increase in number in Boyle County and the fact crews will be in Madison County next week to survey Kirksville damage. Click to enlarge.

five tornadoes may have touched down in Boyle County. That includes the two EF-2 tornadoes that have been rated — one south of Danville and one north. One did heavy damage at the Danville Airport. One of the five likely caused the damage in Madison County.

ORIGINAL STORY POSTED 3 P.M. SATURDAY, DEC. 11, 2021

KIRKSVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) – For two Madison County families, a suspected tornado sounded like a train sitting on their house when it struck at about 4:30 Saturday morning.

Derek and Tasha Thomas and their three daughters went to the home of his brother, Josh and Sherri Thomas with their two daughters when the weather started getting bad early Saturday.

When they got a weather alert at about 4 a.m., they rounded up the five children and headed to the basement of the 150-year-old home that sits on a hill on Highway 595 in the Kirksville community southwest of Richmond.

They’d been there about 10 minutes when they heard the roar of the winds.  They described the sound of a train and the damage they heard happening outside. When the roar stopped and they came upstairs, water was rushing in and they could see the sky.

Outside, vehicles were smashed, barns were leveled and a piece of wood even was driven through a truck’s metal hood. The Thomases both work in law enforcement. While the families wouldn’t go on camera, they said they are grateful to have their lives.

When co-workers came, they were relieved.

“The sheer damage…you hope the family, the alerts were out quick enough, they were able to get to safety and they actually listened to the warnings, which many don’t when they hear warnings, they don’t take the time to get into an interior room or a lower level of the house to protect themselves,” said Madison County Sheriff’s deputy Michael Stotts.

The damage in the Kirksville community was the worst in the county.

It was concentrated along a half-mile stretch of Highway 595. Across the rest of the county, scattered power outages were caused by downed trees and limbs.

Localized flooding was reported in several areas, including the Union City community where a few people couldn’t leave their homes because roads were flooded.

No injuries were reported.