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Nighttime tornados in Kentucky have been deadly

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11 months ago

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Nighttime tornados in Kentucky have been deadly


Bill Burton: It’s time for us to take a look at the Science Behind the Forecast as I am joined by WAVE 3 meteorologist Tawana Andrew. Good morning, Tawana.

Tawana Andrew: Good morning. And today’s topic is really focused in on preparing for tornadoes, especially as we get closer to the core of the severe weather season.

BB: The tornado season is right around the corner, and unfortunately, the U.S. leads the world in tornadoes. It’s not a category you want to lead in, but we do. What do we need to know about them?

TA: Well, in terms of how many tornadoes we see in the U.S. on average, we see around 1,200 twisters per year. That’s our average.

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The next country in that list is Canada, and they see on average around 60 tornadoes a year. So it is a big difference, and our geography plays a big role in why we see so many tornadoes, because you have the cold dry Canadian air meeting up with the Gulf’s warm, humid air right over what we call Tornado Alley, and that interaction creates atmospheric instability and creates the perfect conditions for us to see severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. So for tornadoes to form, you need a couple of things. You need warm, moist air near the ground, cool, drier air, about 10,000 to 30,000 ft in altitude, and you also need wind shear, which is the change in wind speed and direction with altitude. And the topography and geography of the United States helps with all of those things. There was a study that came out in 2024 that highlighted the impact of terrain. Hundreds of miles upwind of tornado formation downstream and it noted that the fact that we have that smooth flat expanse all the way from the Gulf straight on through to the plains helps to contribute to tornado potential because there’s nothing stopping the wind and really helping the wind to slow down in any of that space since it’s so flat.

BB: That makes sense.

TA: Plus you have, of course, the moisture coming off of the Gulf and in the Great Plains in the Mississippi River Valley, you also have a lot of the crops and vegetation that also puts off moisture and that helps to fuel a lot of the severe thunderstorms and tornadic storms that we see. Something else that contributes to the amount of tornado fatalities that we see in the U.S., the couple of things, of course, the topography, which we just touched on, and the time of day. That plays a big role as well.

A tornado, of course, can form at any time of the day, but specifically, we see them more often between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., which if you think about it, is also the warmest part of the day. So you have all that fuel at that point as well. Some numbers that I was looking into when I was diving into the data, I found that, of course, a lot of us know that Texas and Kansas have the highest number of tornadoes in the country. Around 135 tornadoes are seen yearly in Texas, but Alabama actually has the highest annual tornado fatalities, averaging around 14 per year. In the past decade, however, Kentucky has seen the highest number of tornado fatalities in the country, with 75 deaths in between 2014 and 2023. 57 of those 75 were just from that long track tornado that hit Mayfield and that that was a nighttime tornado.

BB: Yeah, we will all remember December 2021.

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TA: Which is why you’ll always hear me say have multiple ways to get alerts. Don’t just rely on your phone, have the TV, a weather radio, whatever you need to make sure that you can get alerts day and night as we get further into the severe weather season.

BB: Yeah, when you’re sleeping, it’s, it just becomes so much more dangerous. You can’t be prepared at that point, of course, but now we have a better understanding of why the US gets as many tornadoes as it does, and we have a better understanding of it thanks to this edition of Science Behind the Forecast with WAVE 3 meteorologist Tawana Andrew. Thanks for the knowledge, Tawana.

TA: Of course.

This transcript was edited for clarity.

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Kentucky

Which Northern Kentucky boys basketball teams can win regional titles?

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9 hours ago

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February 28, 2026

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Which Northern Kentucky boys basketball teams can win regional titles?


The best week of the boys Kentucky high school basketball season is here, as the regional tournaments begin.

Three boys basketball tournaments with Northern Kentucky teams begin next week as they try to punch their ticket to Rupp Arena. They are all in their traditional homes: The Eighth Region takes place at Henry County, the Ninth Region at Truist Arena and the 10th Region at the Mason County Fieldhouse. Here is a look at those brackets.

Eighth Region (at Henry County)

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Wednesday, March 4: Henry County (19-11) vs. South Oldham (20-8), 6:30 p.m.; Simon Kenton (16-10) vs. Spencer County (19-13), 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 5: Walton-Verona (17-15) vs. North Oldham (22-5), 6:30 p.m.; Woodford County (17-7) vs. Gallatin County (11-20), 8 p.m.

Monday, March 9: Semifinals – March 4 winners, 6:30 p.m.; March 5 winners, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, March 10: Final, 7 p.m.

What to watch: Simon Kenton edged Walton-Verona 56-51 for the 32nd District championship. Bray Bilton was the tournament MVP. SK did not play Spencer County this year, and lost to South Oldham in its half of the draw by 20. North Oldham and Woodford County are considered the two favorites, and are both 8-0 in the region as they have not played each other. WV lost to North Oldham by 20 on Feb. 6.

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Ninth Region (at NKU’s Truist Arena)

Saturday, March 7: Highlands (25-5) vs. Conner (14-12), 1 p.m.; Covington Catholic (28-2) vs. Dixie Heights (18-12), 2:30 p.m.; Lloyd Memorial (22-4) vs. Holy Cross (21-9), 6:30 p.m.; Ryle (21-8) vs. Newport (21-9), 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 8: Semifinals – Highlands/Conner vs. CovCath/Dixie winners, 6:30 p.m.; Lloyd/Holy Cross vs. Ryle/Newport winners, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, March 10: Final, 7 p.m.

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What to watch: CovCath is the overwhelming favorite. Its only losses are to other top Kentucky teams Male and Madison Central. CovCath has not played Lloyd or Newport but has beaten the other five teams in the field by an average of 27 points. The Colonels’ closest win against Ninth Region competition is by 18 (72-54) against its first opponent, Dixie Heights.  

Conner beat Highlands 72-58 on Feb. 10. Ryle beat Conner by 12 in the 33rd District final for its first district title since 2014. Ryle beat Newport 45-30 on Dec. 17 but Newport has won seven of nine heading into the regional.

Lloyd is the hottest team in the region besides CovCath, winning 12 straight including a 21-point victory over Dixie in the 34th District final. Lloyd beat Holy Cross by 10, 63-53, on Jan. 6. Lloyd and Newport did not play each other this season, and time will tell if either can challenge CovCath if they get that chance. But barring injuries, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than the Colonels going to Rupp.

10th Region (at Mason County Fieldhouse)

Wednesday, March 4: Scott (15-14) vs. Mason County (7-19), 6 p.m.; Pendleton County (17-12) vs. George Rogers Clark (26-4), 8 p.m.

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Thursday, March 5: Montgomery County (17-12) vs. Bracken County (14-15), 6 p.m.; Campbell County (21-9) vs. Nicholas County (20-12), 8 p.m.

Monday, March 9: Semifinals – March 4 winners, 6 p.m.; March 5 winners, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, March 10: Final, 7 p.m.

What to watch: George Rogers Clark is the heavy favorite here. Scott beat the host Royals 64-59 Dec. 18 in Taylor Mill. The hosts have struggled all year but won the 39th District. Scott survived a wild finish in the 37th District semifinals, with Jordan Clemons hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer after a steal to give the Eagles a win over Brossart. Freshman Benjamin Brown has averaged 23 points per game in half a season. Pendleton County won the 38th District behind junior Kamden O’Hara, one of Northern Kentucky’s best shooters (15.4 ppg., 100 3-pointers). They drew the short straw after tourney favorite GRC lost the 40th District final to Montgomery County, 73-66. Campbell County has won four straight, including two dominant wins in the 37th District tournament. The streak started with a 90-89 win over its first-round regional opponent Nicholas County Feb. 13. Sophomore standout Austin Davie put up 50 points against Nicholas. Campbell lost by 12 to potential semifinal opponent Montgomery County Jan. 23.



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Cities Drive Kentucky License Plate fund aims to support disaster relief across the commonwealth

Published

21 hours ago

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February 28, 2026

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Cities Drive Kentucky License Plate fund aims to support disaster relief across the commonwealth


(LEX 18) — With peak flood season approaching in eastern Kentucky, a new license plate is hitting the road with a mission: helping communities recover when disaster strikes.

The Kentucky League of Cities is launching the Cities Drive Kentucky license plate to raise money for communities affected by natural disasters. The plates are expected to arrive at county clerk’s offices across the state next month.

Kentucky League of Cities CEO J.D. Chaney said the idea grew from watching Kentuckians rally together during past disasters — most notably in 2021, when an EF-4 tornado touched down in western Kentucky as part of a widespread outbreak.

“We saw people from the far east going far west that weren’t even touched,” Chaney said.

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Chaney said getting local governments back on their feet quickly is essential to helping residents recover.

“Getting the city up and going to be able to respond to the citizens they serve is absolutely critical for individuals to make recovery,” Chaney said.

The Kentucky League of Cities also aims to serve as a communication hub during disasters, helping local officials manage the flood of offers of support so they can focus on their communities.

“They’ve got [300] or 400 other phone calls they need to be doing, and we help on that other side. So, there’s one point of contact to facilitate those things,” Chaney said.

The need for that kind of support is growing. Research from the organization shows extreme weather caused $22 million in damages in 2025.

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Chaney described the license plate program as a safety net for cities across Kentucky.

“It’s an insurance policy, for Kentucky cities to know that they have that backing with other communities that have the resources so they can immediately get back and start serving their constituency,” Chaney said.

“We hope others also see how important that is,” Chaney added.

The Cities Drive Kentucky license plates will be available at county clerk’s offices statewide next month.





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Western Kentucky residents share benefits of backyard chickens (copy)

Published

2 days ago

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February 27, 2026

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Western Kentucky residents share benefits of backyard chickens (copy)


Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives voted to pass House Bill 276 earlier this month, which would allow Kentucky residents to keep up to six backyard chickens on residential properties while setting guidelines for local regulation.



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