A powerful storm swept through a rural part of central Kentucky on Friday, killing one person and injuring seven others. In response, the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings across Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia.
Washington County Judge-Executive Timothy Graves reported that two or three homes were destroyed and fallen trees temporarily obstructed roads. “We were lucky it hit a remote area,” he noted.
Governor Andy Beshear canceled a Friday trip to Pulaski and Laurel counties—regions already affected by a deadly tornado earlier this month that killed 19 people. He said officials were now investigating reports of another tornado in Washington County.
“This kind of severe weather was unexpected,” Beshear stated. “More storms are forecast today, especially in Eastern and Southeastern Kentucky.”
The National Weather Service office in Louisville confirmed that storm survey crews found EF1-level tornado damage in southwestern Washington County, and the damage path could extend into nearby Mercer County.
Three of the injured were transported to the University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington. Washington County Emergency Management Director Kevin Devine said no severe weather had been anticipated that morning.
Authorities urged residents via social media to remain at home so emergency crews could work without interference.
In Tennessee, severe weather struck the Philadelphia area of Loudon County, injuring multiple people. The National Weather Service in Morristown later said a preliminary assessment indicated an EF0 tornado near the Loudon-Monroe county line.
Later on Friday, severe weather delayed the landing of Air Force One. The aircraft, returning President Donald Trump from Pennsylvania, circled for an hour due to storms and eventually landed over an hour late in heavy rain. Trump exited the plane without an umbrella and addressed the media.
In Georgia, the National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado near Atlanta on Thursday afternoon had winds up to 135 mph. The storm, rated EF2, caused significant damage in Locust Grove, where it flung the son of actor Tray Chaney nearly 300 feet from a second-story window, leaving him critically injured. The twister, which damaged a dozen homes, was on the ground for 5 minutes and traveled 1.8 miles.
One home—belonging to the Chaney family—was almost entirely destroyed except for a single closet. Tray Chaney, known for his role on “The Wire,” shared that his son, Malachi, remained in intensive care with multiple serious injuries. “I wish I could take his place,” Chaney said in an emotional video.
This tornado was part of the third wave of twisters to hit northern Georgia this week, following earlier tornadoes on Sunday and Tuesday near Atlanta.