LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
Jefferson County has more than 130 tornado sirens across the city, but when a tornado struck west Louisville on the Fourth of July, many residents were quick to notice the sirens didn't go off.
That's because they didn’t.
“This tornado that touched down yesterday came without any warning,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said on Friday. “It came without any warning us in the city; it came without any warning to the state; it came without any warning to the National Weather Service.”
The tornado, categorized as a preliminary EF-1, had wind speeds of 95 mph when it hit near 28th Street and Woodland Avenue in west Louisville, according to the NWS in Louisville.
Greenberg explained the city's tornado sirens never went off because the sirens are only triggered when the NWS issues a warning. However, there wasn't a tornado warning issued in Louisville.
A tornado warning was issued in southern Indiana, but that warning was canceled just before the storm entered Metro Louisville. The NWS’ radar scans the area every few minutes or so, making it extremely difficult to see tornadic activity that happens as quickly as Thursday’s severe weather did.
"[The NWS is] evaluating the process as well," Director of the Louisville Metro Emergency Services Jody Meiman said. "It was so quick, 30 seconds to a minute. That quick and sometimes the radar might not catch up."
Louisville Congressman Morgan McGarvey said his office has met with representatives from the NWS about improving the radar technology nationally to avoid situations like Thursday’s from happening in the future.
“That is something that we are trying to advocate for in this budget that comes up on Sept. 30,” McGarvey said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and other city and state officials toured the damage in west Louisville on Friday.
“For a tornado to come through an urban area like this and have no injuries, we thank God, and we also thank everybody for trying to be safe as the event was occurring,” the governor said.
Beshear also thanked Louisville's emergency and non-emergency services for their quick response to help get residents back on their feet.
“My message to the people of west Louisville is the same as the message and promise I've made to everywhere else when things like this have happened,” Beshear said. “We will stand with you; we will get through this; we will get through it together.”
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