page_title: Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2012
section_title: Salyersville – Hager Hill – West Van Lear – Lovely, Kentucky/Kermit, West Virginia
hierarchical_section_title: Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2012 / Tornadoes / Salyersville – Hager Hill – West Van Lear – Lovely, Kentucky/Kermit, West Virginia
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerial image from a helicopter near Salyersville, Kentucky showing tornado damage from an EF3 tornado. Areas of the American Midwest were hit hard by a tornado outbreak on March 2. Specifically, the image shows the extent of damage located about 1.5 mi (2.4 km) southeast of downtown Salyersville at the intersection of Parkway Drive (foreground) and Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway (middle-ground).
context_page_description: On March 2 and 3, 2012, a deadly tornado outbreak occurred over a large section of the Southern United States into the Ohio Valley region. The storms resulted in 41 tornado-related fatalities, 22 of which occurred in Kentucky. Tornado-related deaths also occurred in Alabama, Indiana, and Ohio. The outbreak was the second deadliest in early March for the U.S. since official records began in 1950; only the 1966 Candlestick Park tornado had a higher death toll for a tornadic system in early March.
context_section_description: This destructive, long-tracked nighttime tornado first touched down in a sparsely populated area of Wolfe County, Kentucky at 6:50 PM, snapping trees at EF1 strength before quickly crossing into Magoffin County. Once in Magoffin County, the tornado began to widen and intensify as it continued along its path, snapping many trees and crossing the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway multiple times. Reaching high-end EF3 intensity and a path width of 3/4 of a mile wide, the tornado struck the town Salyersville, resulting in major damage. 
  Numerous homes in Salyersville were destroyed, some of which were leveled. Mobile homes were completely destroyed, and vehicles were flipped and tossed. A McDonald's, a motel, an apartment complex, several gas stations, and three school buildings sustained major structural damage in town, along with many other structures and businesses. A church and an Advance Auto Parts store were almost completely destroyed as well. Despite the damage, no deaths occurred in Salyersville, though 30 people were injured.
  Past Salyersville, the tornado maintained its strength and caused additional major damage in the rural community of Conley before crossing into Johnson County. High-end EF3 damage continued in Johnson County, and two fatalities occurred along this segment of the path as a mobile home was obliterated. Major damage occurred near Collista as the tornado crossed U.S. Route 23 and State Highway 825. 
  Multiple frame homes and manufactured homes were damaged or destroyed, vehicles were flipped, a metal truss tower was crumpled and destroyed, and entire hillsides and ridges were deforested by the tornado. One house was blown onto Highway 825, blocking the road. The tornado then struck nearby Hager Hill, where several additional structures were destroyed. Kentucky Route 321 and Kentucky Route 1428 were both blocked by collapsed apartment buildings in Hager Hill, while semi-trailers were flipped and industrial buildings were damaged as well in town. Past Hager Hill, the tornado weakened somewhat as it immediately struck the neighboring town of West Van Lear, tearing the roofs off of numerous homes and a church. 
  The tornado continued at high-end EF2 strength into Martin County, passing between Davella and Debord. Entire hillsides were deforested, a brick structure was destroyed, a one-story brick home lost its roof and some exterior walls, and a two-story home sustained damage to its second floor in this area. Additional hillsides suffered total deforestation in the Beauty community before the tornado struck the town of Lovely at the Kentucky/West Virginia state border. EF2 damage occurred in Lovely as trees were snapped and multiple homes had their roofs torn off.
  The tornado then crossed into Mingo County, West Virginia just south of Kermit. 
  Additional EF2 damage occurred as many trees were snapped and a 280-foot high railroad communications tower was toppled to the ground before the tornado dissipated. Debris from Lovely was found deposited on mountaintops in the Kermit area. 
  In addition to the two fatalities, 37 other people were injured by this tornado along its 49-mile long path.
caption: Aerial view of high-end EF3 damage in Salyersville, Kentucky.
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