Thunderstorm Safety and Preparedness

At Least 12 Tornadoes Confirmed in Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana After Tuesday's Storms

A line of strong storms moved across the Ohio Valley Tuesday night, spawning damaging winds, baseball-sized hail and at least 12 tornadoes.

Dr. Greg Forbes, severe weather expert at The Weather Channel, said National Weather Service investigators confirmed nine tornadoes hit Kentucky, while two touched down in West Virginia and one in Indiana. That number could rise as survey teams wrap their investigations.

Images on social media show what appears to be the EF1 tornado that hit Paris, Kentucky, Tuesday evening. Downed trees and powerlines were also reported throughout Paris.

The tornadoes were generally on the lower end of the wind scale, but the storms are blamed for at least three minor injuries. NWS said one person was injured in the Paris storm while two people were hurt in an EF1 tornado that hit in Mercer County, West Virginia, just after 11:30 p.m. local time.

Storms also produced considerable damage between South Shore and Grays Branch, Kentucky, according to Tim Nolder, the Emergency Management Director for Mason County. Traffic lights were out and trees were down. A trailer was reportedly flipped over at a truck stop, causing a gas leak.

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Most of the other damage came in the form of uprooted trees, downed utility lines and wrecked barns.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Kentucky, Ohio River Valley Storms