Henryville tornado
In the afternoon hours of March 2, 2012, a deadly and destructive tornado moved through several communities in the states of Indiana and Kentucky, killing at least 11 people. The tornado was part of a larger severe weather outbreak in March 2012; the tornado was the deadliest of the outbreak. The tornado devastated the towns of New Pekin, Marysville and Henryville, Indiana, leaving damages totaling in excess of $58 million (2012 USD) in its wake. The National Weather Service determined that the tornado had peak wind speeds of 175 miles per hour (282 km/h), garnering it an EF4 rating on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The EF4 rating of the tornado was something that was brought into question in a National Weather Service publication in 2022, which noted the possibility of potential EF5 damage.
What was the Henryville tornado?
The Henryville tornado was a deadly and destructive weather event that occurred on March 2, 2012. It moved through several communities in Indiana and Kentucky, including New Pekin, Marysville, and Henryville. The National Weather Service assigned it an EF4 rating based on observed damage. This tornado caused at least 11 fatalities and produced damages totaling over $58 million. It remains the deadliest tornado associated with the March 2012 severe weather outbreak.
What was the Henryville tornado wind speed?
The National Weather Service determined the Henryville tornado reached peak wind speeds of 175 miles per hour. These extreme winds occurred near the north side of State Road 160 in an industrialized area. Surveyors utilized damage patterns to estimate these velocities on the Enhanced Fujita scale. While officially rated EF4, a 2022 National Weather Service publication suggested the possibility of EF5 intensity at certain points along the track due to the severity of the structural destruction.
What was the Henryville tornado path?
The Henryville tornado first touched down in the southern portions of Fredericksburg. The vortex traveled east-northeast for a total path length of 46.60 miles. Its track took it through rural areas of Washington and Clark counties before crossing into Jefferson County and finally the Ohio River into Trimble County, Kentucky. The tornado dissipated at 3:39 p.m. EST, approximately 49 minutes after its initial formation. Throughout the track, the damage width varied, reaching up to 800 yards at its peak.
How many people died in the Henryville tornado?
The Henryville tornado killed at least 11 people according to the National Weather Service, though other reports cite higher figures. Five individuals died in a single mobile home near State Road 60, including a toddler who passed away later at a hospital. Three additional fatalities occurred when a brick home was demolished in the Chelsea area. Another individual died in Henryville as the town suffered extensive damage. The total injury count remains unknown, though officials noted many people required rescue from vehicles and destroyed homes.
What did the Henryville tornado destroy?
The Henryville tornado obliterated a well-constructed Airgo Industries factory and leveled multiple well-built residential homes. It severely damaged the Henryville middle and high school complex, where it ripped school buses off their chassis and destroyed the cafeteria and gym. The storm also mangled high-tension power structures and tore asphalt from road surfaces. Debris from these structures lofted thousands of feet into the air. In several locations, the vortex completely swept homes from their concrete foundations, leaving only exposed anchor bolts.
What caused the Henryville tornado?
The Storm Prediction Center identified an intense low-pressure area tracking across the region as the primary trigger. A combination of high convective available potential energy, favorable thermodynamics, and a destabilizing warm front created a volatile atmosphere. Strong lower-level shear and favorable dewpoints supported the development of intense, long-tracked supercells. An evolving line of these storms lifted north, prompting the issuance of PDS tornado watches across Indiana and Kentucky. The environment provided the necessary forcing mechanisms to sustain the multi-vortex circulation.
What happened after the Henryville tornado?
Following the touchdown, the National Weather Service office at Louisville issued a tornado emergency for Henryville at 3:10 p.m. Emergency responders conducted rescues of people trapped inside vehicles and semis after the tornado closed Interstate 65. Cleanup operations focused on the extensive debris fields and destroyed residential sectors. In later years, the National Weather Service revisited the survey data, publishing findings in 2022 that questioned the initial EF4 rating. These studies highlighted potential EF5 damage that the original assessment may have understated.
Henryville Tornado Track
The mapped ground track below shows the surveyed touchdown point, damage corridor, and dissipation coordinates recorded by NWS field crews. The Henryville tornado traveled 46.60 miles across Fredericksburg, New Pekin, Henryville, Marysville, Indiana. Coordinates are derived from the official SPC historical tornado database.
What was the highest wind speed recorded for the Henryville tornado?
The Henryville tornado reached estimated peak wind speeds of 175 miles per hour.
When did the Henryville tornado start and end?
The tornado formed at 2:50 p.m. EST and dissipated at 3:39 p.m. EST on March 2, 2012.
How long was the path of the Henryville tornado?
The Henryville tornado traveled a ground path of 46.60 miles.
Did the Henryville tornado reach EF5 intensity?
The tornado officially received an EF4 rating, though a 2022 National Weather Service publication noted the possibility of EF5 damage.