March 3-4, 2023
A dangerous combination of strong upper level storm systems and intense surface low pressure moved from the Southern Plains to the Mississippi Valley during the early morning hours of Friday, March 3rd. The low surface pressure rapidly worsened as it passed just north of the Ohio River and subsequently broke multiple long-standing minimum pressure records in numerous locations. Paducah, Kentucky recorded minimum pressure levels of 977.7 mb which fell far below the previous record of 981 mb set in 1960.
Between 5 – 10 PM, momentum from the intense winds only a couple thousand feet above the ground mixed down, leading to a period of damaging wind gusts which peaked between 50-70 over Eastern Kentucky. That evening, the National Weather Service Office at Julian Carroll airport recorded a peak wind gust of 65 MPH; the strongest measured gust at that location since records began in 1981.
While these winds were historic for the mountainous, hilly terrain of Eastern Kentucky, Central and Western Kentucky’s geography enabled the formation of incredibly destructive hurricane force winds. Power outages exceeded half a million customers across the commonwealth Friday evening, with the Lexington metro area being particularly hard hit. Power restoration crews from several nearby states worked tirelessly in what became a several-day power restoration effort.
While power was restored to the commonwealth, much of the damage from this severe weather system remains. If your insurance company has failed to offer adequate assistance in recovering from any structural damage your property sustained, contact us for a consultation.