Owensboro, KY F3 Tornado – January 3, 2000

Stats

Path length: 7 miles

Width: 880 yards

Fatalities: 0

Injuries: 18

Rating: F3

County: Daviess

Tornado Path

Click Map To Enlarge

SPC coordinates: Start: 37.72 / -87.18 End: 37.77 / -87.12

Corrected Coordinates based on the DAT:

Start: 37.717444 / -87.193715 End: 37.762869 / -87.085516

Note: Exact tornado path may not be straight and/or continuous.

Summary

Two F3 tornadoes occurred on January 3, 2000 in the state of Kentucky. They were both spawned by one long-track supercell. This summary looks at one of those significant tornadoes that moved through Daviess County, and the town of Owensboro.

The tornado developed near Rome. It tracked northeast crossing over the southern part of the Owensboro Airport and then right into the heart of the city of Owensboro. The National Weather Service estimated the peak winds at 180 mph.

1200 homes and businesses sustained varying degrees of damage. 101 of the 1200 were totally destroyed and 573 sustained major damage. Heavy damage occurred to Apollo High School, Kentucky Wesleyan College and a Winn-Dixie. Numerous automobiles were tossed.

There were 18 injuries and no fatalities. One person was critically injured in a home near the beginning of the path. They had a broken vertebrae along with cuts and bruises.

Images via NWS Paducah Summary

Damage Photos from FEMA - Taken by Owensboro Municipal Utilities/Dale Harris

Videos

On the 17th anniversary of the event, Leisa Prater chats with WBKR morning guy Chad Benefield and shares photos of the damage her home sustained during the January 3rd, 2000 F-3 tornado that hit parts of Owensboro, KY.