By Chip Hutcheson
Kentucky Today
A possible tornado touched down Saturday morning in Hopkinsville, resulting in significant damage to several businesses.
Early reports are that the storm, which hit shortly before 9:30 a.m., resulted in significant damage to Family Dollar Store, Marathon gas station and Southern States.
Storm damage in Hopkinsville. (WHOP photo via Kentucky Today
“There is a tremendous amount of damage,” said Christian County Emergency Manager Randy Graham. “Several homes were damaged and we have a couple of homes with the roof gone.”
WKDZ Radio said several reports of a funnel cloud were called in. The station said the damage path began near Southern States on 14th Street and continued to the northeast part of First Street.
Joe Bufford, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church, said the area affected was about a mile from his church. He said his son, a Hopkinsville police officer who was on duty at the time, called to say he was not injured when the storm struck.
WHOP Radio reported Hopkinsville Fire Department Lt. Payton Rogers said the first indication of trouble was a call about a tree falling on a home on Walnut Street, near East 12th St.
WHOP reported that a former manufacturing building, Elk Brand, was damaged as well as at least three homes along the path. No injuries have been reported at this time.
A flood warning was in effect for Christian and Todd counties until 8 a.m. today. As of mid-afternoon Saturday, Hopkinsville had received 2.78 inches of rain since midnight.
