Weather service confirms 8 tornadoes touched down in Kentucky with surveys finished

Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read

Eight tornadoes touched down Wednesday night in Louisville and around Kentucky, the local National Weather Service has confirmed.

Four of the tornadoes reached at least EF-1 intensity, according to NWS Louisville, while three other weaker tornadoes were recorded at EF-0 levels. Surveys continued Friday to determine where the twisters started and ended but had ended by Saturday.

Just one tornado, an EF-1, touched down in Louisville, hitting an area near Fern Creek in southeastern Jefferson County.

Three tornadoes were confirmed in Shelby County, according to social media posts from the weather agency – two at EF-1 levels and one EF-0. One EF-1 tornado and one EF-0 tornado caused damage in LaRue County, while two other EF-0 tornadoes have been detected in Spencer County.

More storm news: Jefferson County Public Schools to return to classes Friday

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared a state of emergency on Thursday morning to speed recovery efforts to areas affected by the storms

No one in Jefferson County was hurt or killed, he said, which Fischer attributed to "residents taking heed of the warnings and alerts and taking the steps necessary to protect themselves and their families."

Watch: Aerial footage of storm damage in Louisville after EF-1 tornado hit city

A number of homes in Louisville's Glenmary subdivision were damaged, though, with Fern Creek Fire Chief Nathan Mulvey estimating Thursday morning at least 15 families were temporarily displaced.

Jefferson County Public Schools were back in session Friday after classes were canceled Thursday morning due to power outages at about a dozen schools, as well as debris on roadways that would have made transportation of students difficult.

The district said the School Calendar Committee will ask for the missed school day to be forgiven so the final day of classes will remain May 26, a decision that'll be made by the Jefferson County Board of Education.

Reach Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez at abrinez@gannett.com; follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarez

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville storm: Eight tornadoes hit Wednesday in Kentucky