In the late evening hours of May 16, 2025, a large and deadly nocturnal EF4 tornado moved through the western Cumberland Plateau, impacting the Kentucky cities of Somerset and London. The tornado, which was on the ground for almost an hour and a half, killed 18 people and injured 108 others along a 60 mi (97 km) track. It was the second tornado that day rated EF4 by the National Weather Service, with the first one occurring hours prior in Illinois as part of a major tornado outbreak in mid-May.
The supercell that produced this tornado initiated over 400 miles (640 km) away in the south-central Missouri Ozarks region. The supercell produced few tornadoes along its track through Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky, including a small but intense EF3 tornado that brought destructive impacts to the area south of the village of Blodgett: several homes suffered major damage, mobile homes were destroyed, and trees were snapped. Two fatalities occurred and ten others were injured. Afterwards, the supercell crossed the Ohio River into Kentucky. The supercell produced a brief EF1 tornado near Lamasco and an EF2 tornado near Allegre, damaging or destroying several mobile homes and outbuildings. After the London tornado dissipated, the supercell eventually got absorbed into the mesoscale convective system.
The tornado first touched down in central Russell County, initially causing minor damage to trees and infrastructure before quickly intensifying to EF3 strength, inflicting major damage to a home near Whittle. The tornado weakened and shrunk after crossing into Pulaski County. After crossing Lake Cumberland, the tornado struck the southern side of Somerset at low-end EF3 intensity, inflicting severe to major damage to several homes and businesses. After leaving the city, the tornado tore through parts of the Daniel Boone National Forest at mid-range EF3 to low-end EF4 intensity, shredding and snapping several trees and destroying a couple of homes as the tornado entered Laurel County. The tornado then impacted the southern side of London at low-end EF4 intensity, inflicting catastrophic destruction to several homes, neighborhoods, and industrial buildings, resulting in several fatalities. The tornado dissipated shortly after near the community of Lida. The tornado was on the ground for 90 minutes and tracked for 60 miles (97 km).
Recovery efforts immediately following the tornado were intensive, with several aid organizations, including The Salvation Army and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, traveling to London with relief supplies. Following the tornado, media outlets claimed National Weather Service office in Jackson, Kentucky was understaffed due to the staffing cuts made by Department of Government Efficiency, although the office was fully staffed at the same time of the tornado.
On May 12, the Storm Prediction Center outlined a Day 5 risk for middle Mississippi River valley. A pacific front associated with May 15 convection was expected to stall across the middle Mississippi and lower Ohio Valleys before moving north as a potent warm front. Ensemble Guidance models at the time were hinting at dewpoints reaching between mid to upper 60s, possibly reaching into low 70s, with the likelihood of one or more linear segments to traverse across the mid-Mississippi, lower Ohio, to potentially into Tennessee valleys. On May 14 at 0730 UTC, The Storm Prediction Center outlined a slight (2/5) risk over much of the Ozark Plateau, Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys, with possibility of seeing scattered discrete supercells, organized clusters, including the chance of a long-lived mesoscale convective system. Medium and long-range guidance model suggest the development of thunderstorms along the warm front, with a surface trough ahead of the mid-level wave will mature. The models depicted an environment where the mean level convective available potential energy (MLCAPE) values were around 3000 J/kg and effective bulk shear of 40-50kn, developing a potent environment, with thermodynamic/kinematic conditions supporting development of long-lived severe weather. Despite this, there were still uncertainties around the event, with persistent disagreement among models still evident in regards to the northward extent of the warm sector, with some recent model runs showing the likelihood of persistent morning convection, and other model runs showing less morning convection. In the evening hours on the same day at 1730 UTC, an enhanced (3/5) risk was outlined for most of lower Ohio Valley, with one or more organized cluster and couple more discrete supercells. An upper-level trough over the southern High Plains will traverse quickly across the Midwest, strong mid to upper southwesterly flow will overspread the region, the 500 mb jet stream was forecasted to be around 70-90kn. A highly moist airmass was forecasted to be in place extending from southern Missouri into southern Illinois and into northeast Ohio. Increased southerly flow ahead of the cold-front allows the warm-front along the I-70 corridor to lift north throughout the afternoon. Strong destabilization was forecasted to occur as a result of steep mid-level from cooling aloft and dewpoints of mid to upper 60s. Low-level jet around 45-60kn was forecasted to overspread the region due to peak daylight heating into the evening.
The Storm Prediction Center outlined a moderate (4/5) risk over much of the middle Mississippi and lower Ohio Valleys on May 16, with the greatest risk over southeastern Missouri, far northeastern Arkansas, northwestern Tennessee, southern Illinois and Indiana, far southwestern Ohio, and much of Kentucky. The upper-level low centered over the border of North Dakota and Minnesota was expected to move eastward into the middle Mississippi Valley. Following persisting convection from the previous day, a warm front swept over a large region from Missouri to the Ohio and Tennessee Valley regions. Over this region, the atmosphere was expected to sharply destabilize, with mean level convective available potential energy (MLCAPE) values exceeding 2500 J/kg, strong mid-level flow, and deep-layer wind shear exceeding 50 kn (58 mph; 93 km/h) expected to help develop and intensify severe weather and associated supercells. The 06z outlook issued by Chris Broyles and Harry Weinman mentioned the risk of "a high-end long-track tornado...from far southeast Missouri...into western Kentucky".
Eastern Russell County to Somerset
The tornado first touched down in Russell County northeast of Jamestown at 10:26 p.m. EDT. At the touchdown point, the tornado damaged the roof of an outbuilding as it started eastward and crossed KY 619. The tornado then shattered windows and inflicted roof and siding damage to a home before crossing Caney Creek, uprooting trees on the hillsides on both sides of the creek. The tornado then turned east-northeastward, rolling and destroying a mobile home before crossing McFarland Creek and moving into Whittle and crossing KY 1611. The tornado partially removed the roof off a home and an outbuilding as it moved east-northeastward and crossed KY 76 before rapidly intensifying to high-end EF2 intensity, significantly debarking and stubbing hardwood trees, and destroying mobile homes and a camper. The tornado then crossed Alligator Creek and continued east-northeastward at low-end EF2 strength, snapping and uprooting trees, and destroying a garage. It then briefly strengthened to low-end EF3 intensity as it crossed Gosser Ridge Road, unroofing and destroying most of the exterior walls of a one-story brick home, with another home sustaining major EF1 roof damage. Several trees nearby were snapped.
The small tornado maintained low-end EF3 intensity as it crossed into Pulaski County and continued eastward across House Fork Creek and Wolf Creek, stubbing and debarking hardwood trees. The tornado then weakened slightly and struck a farmstead on a Cundiff Road at high-end EF2 strength, unroofing a home and destroying several outbuildings as well as a small and large solo. The tornado then briefly reached low-end EF3 intensity on Cooks Chapel Road, unroofing and knocking down the exterior walls of a home and stubbing more trees. It then weakened significantly to low-end EF2 intensity as it crossed KY 196, unroofing another home, heavily damaging or destroying multiple outbuildings, and snapping trees. The tornado then narrowed and weakened further to EF1 intensity as it continued eastward and passed south of Faubush, damaging outbuildings and snapping trees along KY 1664. One small area of EF2 damage occurred on Oakes Road with a suffering considerable roof and exterior damage. The tornado then continued eastward at EF1 intensity as it passed south of Nancy and crossed KY 761 and KY 235 while gradually shrinking in size. Homes suffered roof damage, outbuildings were destroyed, and more trees were snapped. The tornado then crossed Clifty Creek and struck a neighborhood south of KY 80, causing heavy EF1-EF2 roof damage to homes and snapping trees and power poles. The tornado then narrowed even further and crossed Fishing Creek at EF1 strength before descending a steep hillside across KY 1577. After crossing KY 914 and entering the southern side of Somerset, the tornado strengthened and reached EF2 intensity as it continued down the hillside. Two homes were destroyed, other homes and apartment building suffered heavy roof and exterior wall damage, vehicles were damaged, and trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado then impacted the Somerset Cinemas 8 building, about 100 people were inside watching movies at the time the building was struck. The building received minor roof and structural damage. A strip mall along Parkers Mill Way received major damage to its roof at mid-range EF2 strength.