Tornado record · Original Fujita scale
F3 tornado, Bell County, Kentucky, May 9, 1988
RatingF3
Deaths1
Injuries15
Length5 mi
Width500 yd
Path
Drawn as a straight line from the recorded start point (36.60, -83.75) to the end point (36.60, -83.65), which is all NOAA's record holds. The real track may have curved.
The record
- Date
- May 9, 1988, 8:17 PM (as recorded, Central Standard Time)
- Rating
- F3
- States
- Kentucky
- Counties
- Bell County
- Near the path
- Middlesborough, Harrogate, Cumberland Gap (approximate: towns the straight recorded line passes through)
- Path
- 5 miles long, up to 500 yards wide
- Casualties
- 1 deaths, 15 injuries
Other tornadoes on May 9, 1988
| Date | Rating | State | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 1988 | F2 | Alabama | 15 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
Tornado history nearby
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.