New survey information from the National Weather Service provides some more details about last weekend’s tornado that impacted Russell County.
The National Weather Service pushed the start of the tornado’s path over 4 miles from where it was believed to touch down initially. This makes the total path of the tornado almost 60 miles through Russell, Pulaski, and Laurel counties.
The weather service said in a statement the tornado touched down along Highway 619, commonly known as Bernard Ridge, about 2.5 miles northeast of Jamestown.
Sporadic damage east of Bernard Ridge seems to suggest that the tornado may have briefly lifted for a few hundred yards
after its initial touchdown point. The weather service said the tornado touched back down in a grove of trees between Bernard Ridge and John Streat Road. EF-1 damage was observed in this area, with winds estimated between 95 and 100 mph.
The tornado intensified as it crossed Parks Ridge and continued through Eli and the Gosser Ridge areas. The weather service said damage in this area was consistent with high-end EF-1 and EF-2 winds, between 100 and 130 mph.
From there, the tornado continued into Pulaski County where caused considerable damage near the Faubush and Nancy
communities. The tornado then made its way to the south side of Somerset, where high-end EF2 damage was found along Highway 27.
The tornado was on the ground for nearly an hour-and-a-half, covering 60 miles with a width just under a mile wide, and reaching peak wind speeds of 170 miles per hour in Laurel County.
