On May 26, 2024, in Dawson Springs, Mother Nature’s mood took a turn for the worse in Western Kentucky when the winds picked up, thunderstorms began and lightning lit up the sky. Temperatures were on the rise and watching the weather forecast early on showed a situation developing that no one wanted to see. Hearing words like, high winds, tracking cells and tornado watch, many people flashed back to the weather events on December 10, 2021—a day no one wanted to remember, but it was a day no one could forget.
Living through that tornado had people hyper-alert and taking the weather more serious than ever before. Weather radios, outdoor warning sirens and cell phone weather updates never felt more important. Family, friends and neighbors were already in an awareness-mode that had them coming together to monitor the storm’s status and offering shelter in the safest place they could find.
Updates from the National Weather Service and local news stations updated the status to a Tornado Warning and that it was traveling at 35mph in a northeast direction.
While no one really knew which way it would ultimately go, all they could do was hope and pray that it would dissipate sooner rather than later.
As the storm developed, residents got a strong indication that their area was going to be hit once again, and they would be riding out the storm together. Some people quickly gathered their most sentimental belongings and began moving to their safe placewhile others made the decision to move to a more stable structure than where they were.
At 8:01p.m., everyone’s worst nightmare was becoming reality when news meteorologists confirmed rotation was on the ground. Those experiencing the up-close effects of the tornado reported the all too familiar “sounded like a freight train coming our way” and recalled experiencing pain and popping in their ears from the sudden pressure changes in the air. They could hear what they couldn’t see, believing it to be cars crashing into structures and the loud rattling of tin roofs and trees snapping. It was the same sounds of that previous EF4 tornado all over again.
And then in a matter of a minute or so, as stated by one resident, it was an eerie sort of silence that shook them with fear and sadness to know they were going to step out of their safe place to see what would no longer be there. Those venturing out into what had been their neighborhood found it ravaged and with the roadways blocked by natural barricades of trees.
The tale of the tornado was told by its path carved through countless acres of farmland, homes, businesses and the surrounding forest of trees. Trees were uprooted, pushed down to the ground and splintered in all directions. Some structures were damaged beyond repair while others had only minor damage. Some homes were ripped from their foundation and destroyed beyond recognition.
Survivors were calling 911 to report injuries and loved ones and neighbors they could not find. Search and rescue, emergency medical services and fire departments were on scenes that were accessible. There were multiple pets and livestock injured or deceased that animal control arrived to rescue or remove. Chainsaw teams were in the making to remove trees from structures. Contracted debris removal companies were clearing roads and utility crews were hard at work to restore power. The whole recovery process was quickly set in motion.
Emergency management agencies from surrounding areas were called on by the Kentucky State Emergency Management for mutual aid assistance in the coordination of response and recovery efforts. The Hopkins County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was the meeting place for sharing information and delegating assignments.
Traffic control was quickly established by law enforcement and multiple drone flights were being conducted immediately to obtain situational awareness for all responding departments. Damage assessment reports were being sent to the state EOC so it could prepare for providing residents and workers the assistance needed for recovery.
Gov. Andy Beshear and his support personnel came to the area to assess the aftermath first-hand in an effort to make a disaster declaration. The Hopkins County Long Term Recovery Group established a volunteer reception center for registering incoming volunteers from near and far. The American Red Cross registered residents and coordinated needed assistance. Donations of food began to arrive and church groups were cooking and feeding all those assisting with the recovery efforts.
Local news stations were providing situational updates and human-interest stories of the surrounding areas to as many people as they could reach. The natural structure of landscape had so many peaks and valleys that this “bouncing” tornado did not show a consistent path. Henderson EMA took flight aboard a volunteered private airplane to get a better visual from a higher vantage point at an altitude of approximately 1,500 feet with a goal to determine if any additional structures that may be camouflaged amongst the thick forested areas were affected.
From the very start of the recovery process and lasting for days, everything seemed to be going a hundred miles per hour. While family, friends and neighbors once came together in preparation for the tornado, now they came together in the aftermath. Like a puzzle, people were picking up the pieces and putting them back in place where they could.
Every tornado is unique to its own, but with the experience of the 2021 tornado, lessons learned and training, professionals and residents streamlined the recovery process. First responders, volunteers, faith-based organizations, restaurants and countless others contributed greatly to put people’s lives back together and help the community to recover.
Reported to Date June 9, 2024 – Tornado Stats (Source of information – NWS)
- Rotation on the ground started at 8:01pm in Eddyville in Lyon County and tracked through Caldwell County and ended west of I69 near Morton’s Gap in eastern Hopkins County at 9:15pm
- 160mph winds made this a high-end EF3
- Traveled 35.5 miles
- The max width was 700 yards (almost a ½ mile wide)
- 21 injuries and 1 death
- 46 buildings were damaged or destroyed along with 52 structures (sheds, garages)
Jill Ward is the director’s assistant in the Henderson County Office of Emergency Management.
