LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear is already projecting Friday night's tornadoes to be some of the most deadly and destructive in Kentucky's history. While he said at least 70 people are dead, that number is expected to climb and could surpass 100.
The severity of the storms make it hard to not think back on other tornadic events that have rocked the commonwealth.
Here are some of the largest in Kentucky's history.
March 2, 2012
Tornadoes tear through West Liberty, Kentucky on March 2, 2012 (National Weather Service/Allen Bolling)
According to the National Weather Service, four separate tornadoes hit parts of nine counties that day. An EF2 tornado touched down in Martin County, the first recorded tornado in every in that county. An EF2 also caused damage in portions of Menifee, Magoffin and Johnson counties. The storms eventually caused widespread damage to the towns of West Liberty and Salyersville. 26 people died and more than 200 others were injured. The EF3 tornado track in West Liberty lasted for 86 miles through east Kentucky and western West Virginia. Salyersville also saw a EF3 tornado and it had a track of 49 miles in Kentucky and West Virginia.
April 3-4, 1974
Photo from the Super Outbreak in 1974. This picture shows Xenia, Ohio (National Weather Service)
The Super Outbreak of 1974 is one of the worst events in Kentucky's history. 148 tornadoes touched down in the South and Midwest killing 335 people and injuring more than 6,000. 63 Kentuckians died that day, 31 in Meade and Breckinridge counties where an EF5 tore through. Brandenburg was hard hit. The storm destroyed countless businesses and caused $10 million in damage. Louisville saw a tornado rip through the fairgrounds and destroy the horse barns. When it was over more than 400 Louisville homes were destroyed and two people killed.
March 27, 1890
The National Weather Services calls the 1890 tornado one of "the most devastating tornadoes to ever strike Kentucky." NWS says it actually began in Indiana but went through Shively and Jefferson County. It was classified as an F4 and it left a path in Louisville 200 yards wide and that grew to 500 yards as it roared through downtown.
76 people died that day, 44 in a building downtown. It was one of the highest tornado death totals in a single building ever recorded in the United States.