1971 Gosser Ridge tornado

On April 27, 1971, a violent F4 tornado struck Gosser Ridge and other parts of Russell and Pulaski County, Kentucky.[1][2][3] In November 1999, the National Climatic Data Center published a list of the historical F5 tornadoes in the United States from 1880 to 1999, which rated the Gosser Ridge tornado as an F5 tornado.[4] It was later officially downgraded to an F4 tornado.[5]

1971 Gosser Ridge tornado
A map of the tornadoes on April 27, 1971 in the NWS of Louisville, Kentucky's forecast office area. The tornado farthest to the right is the Gosser Ridge F4.
Meteorological history
Duration17 minutes
FormedApril 27, 1971
F4 tornado
on the Fujita scale
Highest winds207 to 260 mph (333 to 418 km/h)
Overall effects
Fatalities2
Injuries72
Damage$2.5 million (1971 USD)
Areas affectedRussell and Pulaski County, Kentucky
Part of the tornadoes of 1971

Synopsis

The tornado touched down roughly two miles north of Russell Springs just past the Adair and Russell County border around 9:53 PM EST.[3] For the next few miles east-southeast from touching down, the tornado skipped, lifting and dropping multiple times. Around 8 miles (13 km) east of Russell Springs, aerial surveys showed two distinct paths approximately 0.25 miles (0.40 km) apart through a roadside park.[3] The paths indicated a possible twin or satellite tornado, or a single, large, multiple vortex tornado. The path farthest to the east contained the most severe damage in this area. After the damage paths merged, the tornado turned due east and briefly lifted and touched down again where it damaged several homes. The tornado then grew to a width of 300 yards (270 m) as it struck Salem School, where several people were injured.[3] Numerous homes around the school were destroyed and the school was severely damaged, with at least US$150,000 worth of damage to the school.[3]

The tornado continued on its eastward track as it entered the community of Gosser Ridge.[3] In Gosser Ridge, the tornado destroyed a farmhouse, killing two people and destroying nearly every building.[3][6] Several other homes were destroyed and multiple injuries occurred in Gosser Ridge. In Gosser Ridge, "questionable F5” damage occurred, which led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to rate the tornado F5 on the Fujita scale.[4] In August 2000, the tornado was still rated F5, however, it was later downgraded to F4. The tornado then continued into Pulaski County, where it struck the community of Faubush. In Faubush, two people were injured, several structures were damaged or destroyed and a mobile home was destroyed. In Russell County, the tornado injured a total of 70 people, destroyed 174 structures and damaged 105 others. At an unspecified farm in Russell County, it was reported that the tornado struck a chicken farm, where it plucked chickens of all their feathers, but left them alive.[3] In total, the tornado caused anywhere from US$2.5 million to US$5 million in property damage along its path of 14 miles (23 km).[3]

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1971 Gosser Ridge, Kentucky tornado.

References
  1. "Kentucky Event Report - F4 Tornado Russell County". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  2. "Kentucky Event Report - F4 Tornado Pulaski County". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  3. "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena" (PDF). Storm Data. National Climatic Data Center. 13 (4): 6. April 1971. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  4. Neal Lott; Sam McCown & Tom Ross (August 2000). "1998-1999 Tornadoes and a Long-Term U.S. Tornado Climatology" (PDF). National Climatic Data Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  5. "Tornadoes of April 27, 1971". National Weather Service. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  6. "Gosser Ridge F4/F5 Tornado Newspaper". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
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