Storm Highway by Dan Robinson
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                   Friday, February 8, 2008 - 7:44AM

Possible F2 tornado intercept at Crofton, Kentucky

By DAN ROBINSON
Editor/Photographer
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It turns out I may have actually bagged one on Tuesday north of Hopkinsville, KY. I'm not certain enough to say for sure, but the evidence is convincing. I read the tornado report this morning on the SPC log page for Crofton, KY on Old Palestine Road, Christian County at 1:35Z (7:35PM CST), and decided to take a closer look at my video. I was parked on Covered Wagon Road just south of Crofton, with the camera set up facing west-southwest. Here is a map of my location relative to the tornado track surveyed by the NWS (click to enlarge):

Crofton, KY tornado track map

NWS Damage survey text:

* EVENT TIME: 730 PM CST TO 735 PM CST (TIME ESTIMATED)

* EVENT TYPE: TORNADO

* EVENT LOCATION: BEGAN 3.5 MILES EAST OF CERULEAN, OR JUST WEST OF THE JUNCTION OF HIGHWAYS 91 AND 624. THE TORNADO CAME TO AN END 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF CROFTON NEAR THE PENNYRILE PARKWAY.

* PEAK WIND: 130 MPH

* RATING: EF-2

* DAMAGE DIMENSIONS: 13.8 MILES LONG AND AVERAGING 225 YARDS WIDE.

* INJURIES: 2 (INJURED WERE SELF-TRANSPORTED TO LOCAL HOSPITAL)

* FATALITIES: NONE

* DISCUSSION/DAMAGE: 27 HOMES DAMAGED WITH 17 DESTROYED. A TOTAL OF 19 GARAGES/SHEDS/BARNS DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

Radar images at the time of intercept:

Crofton, KY radar
Base reflectivity

Crofton, KY radar velocity
Velocity couplet

Here are two still frames from video, showing the storm illuminated by lightning and a possible tornado under the base (click to enlarge):

Crofton, KY tornado

Crofton, KY tornado

Cropped and contrast-enhanced:

Crofton, KY tornado

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