Tornado Terror: Historic Outbreak Shatters Records Across Western Kentucky, Southern Indiana & Illinois

2025 is shaping up to be an incredibly tornadic year here in western Kentucky, southern Indiana, and southern Illinois. Already this year, we have experienced a series of turbulent weather events. For example, just last week- on Thursday, April 10th, there was an unexpected, EF-1 spin-up tornado in Princeton, Indiana.

PRINCETON INDIANA HIT BY TORNADO

Here's the track of that short-lived, but temporarily destructive tornado.

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According to the National Weather Service, that tornado touched down "near the Princeton Community High School . . . and continued southeast across E. Warnock Street before ending near E. State Street." Though short-lived, the twister managed to knock down trees and power lines and even collapsed the walls of an outbuilding. The local high school and several homes also sustained considerable roof damage.

That tornado was rather unexpected. However, not unexpected were the tornadoes that touched down the night of March 14th and in the early morning hours of March 15th.

MARCH TORNADO OUTBREAK IN KY, IN, IL, AND MO

The National Weather Service Office in Paducah covers a region that includes 58 counties. That mid-March event spawned seemingly endless tornado warnings across the coverage area. For instance, I live in Daviess County, Kentucky (Owensboro). That evening we had four different tornado warnings. Luckily, we were spared.

However, other communities weren't as fortunate. That powerful system ultimately resulted in 13 tornadoes touching down.

As you can see from the graphic, six of those tornadoes were rated strong EF-3, five of them were EF-2, and two of them were EF-1.

Those particular storms were also deadly. The National Weather Service says the tornadoes claimed the lives of seven people and injured a dozen more.

HOW MANY TORNADOES HAVE THERE BEEN SO FAR IN 2025?

As it turns out, data is showing that 2025 is shaping up to be a record-breaking year in terms of severe weather- specifically tornadoes. So far this year, the National Weather Service Paducah confirms 41 tornadoes have touched down in their 58-county region and the amount of territory those twisters have covered is an all-time record.

As you can see from the graphic, those 41 tornadoes have combined for a coverage area of 473.5 miles. That breaks the annual record for the most number of miles of tornado damage in NWS Paducah office history. Plus, make note. It's only April and we have a couple of months left in severe weather season. While we certainly don't want to see any more tornado threats, they are not out of the question.

If you're curious, the previous record in our area was set back in 2011, when tornadoes left a path of destruction covering 449.8 miles.