A thunderstorm ripped part of the roof from the Christian County Senior Center on West Seventh Street, opening up the facility to water damage, late Saturday morning and caused power outages across much of Hopkinsville and Christian County.
No serious injuries have been reported.
Flash flooding has occurred in the city and will persist into the afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service.
A flood warning was to remain in effect until 6:15 p.m. Saturday. A wind advisory was set to expire at 9 p.m. (A wind advisory means sustained winds are expected to exceed 30 mph for at least an hour or that wind gusts are expected to reach 40 mph for any duration.)
The storm damaged other properties, including the old Booker T. Washington School on Second Street, weakened utility poles and damaged or destroyed trees and outbuildings.
“Strong and gusty non-thunderstorm winds are still likely this afternoon and into the early evening hours over parts of west Kentucky and southwest Indiana,” the NWS reported. “Wind gusts of 40 to 45 mph (are) still possible in these areas. A wind advisory remains in effect in these areas through early this evening.”
Most customers of Hopkinsville Electric lost power at mid-morning, but many had their electricity restored before 1 p.m. Pennyrile Electric customers were also affected.
The outage appeared to affect all of the businesses on Fort Campbell Boulevard from the north end of the commercial strip at 21st Street to the south at Pennyrile Parkway. But properties south of the parkway still had power, so business was very active for Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A and others in that vicinity.
Intersection lights were out, so four-way stop signs were installed at several intersections across the city.
“HES is reporting approximately 80% of their service area is without power,” Mayor Carter Hendricks wrote in a Facebook post. “The main issue is the TVA main transmission line which is impacting most of the city. Additionally, the north side of town has extensive damage to power lines, utility poles, and trees. This will take some time to restore. HES has asked for additional assistance from their partners.”
Pennyrile Allied Community Services sent crews to the Christian County Senior Center to assess damage and secure the building. PACS manages the center, which is normally open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is a popular day spot for seniors. Lunch is served every weekday and food is prepared there for the Meals on Wheels program.
The ball fields, some structures and bleachers at Ruff Park sustained heavy damage.
Christian and surrounding counties were under a tornado warning Saturday morning. The NWS said radar indicated rotation consistent with a tornado; however, there has not yet been confirmation of a tornado in the county.
Daytime temperatures will remain unseasonably warm this coming week, with highs in the 50s and 60s. There is a chance of thunderstorms late Tuesday and on Wednesday. Wintry precipitation is forecast late Thursday night into Friday morning with a possibility of some light accumulation.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
