Tornadoes and Flash Flooding Hit Kentucky and West Virginia as Storm System Moves East
A widespread storm system produced tornado warnings, flash flooding and wind damage in Kentucky and West Virginia on Tuesday, prompting rescues and evacuations before moving toward New England.
Emergency officials in Kentucky and West Virginia responded to tornadoes, flash flooding and strong winds on Tuesday as a large weather system moved eastward. In the area south of Morgantown, West Virginia, firefighters spent hours rescuing residents from flooded homes and vehicles, including a family whose camper van began to float away and two children trapped in a tree.
In Weston, West Virginia, floodwater entered streets and a Walmart parking lot, submerging several cars.
North of Bowling Green, Kentucky, at least 12 homes were damaged, three people were evacuated and two were injured, according to Blake Schroerlucke, deputy director of Grayson County Emergency Management. He said the storm ripped roofs off buildings, downed power lines and toppled trees, concentrating damage near Clarkson, an area with vacant lakeside vacation properties. By early evening the storm had moved out of the region, leaving only light rain.
The College of DuPage meteorology program recorded more than 85 tornado warnings and over 250 severe thunderstorm warnings nationwide on Tuesday. The system extended into New England, prompting flash-flood alerts and a tornado watch for New York City, the first such watch since 2021. A line of storms that broke from the main system traveled across southern Illinois, Kentucky and Virginia, generating multiple tornado warnings, including one designated as a particularly dangerous situation by the National Weather Service.