Mayfield, KY residents were warned more than 20 minutes before tornado struck, analysis shows

A CNN Weather analysis of warning data shows that residents of Mayfield, Kentucky, received more than 20 minutes of lead time before the tornado struck.

The initial tornado warning from the National Weather Service office in Paducah, Kentucky, was issued at 9:05 p.m. CST. It warned of a “confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado” and listed the arrival time in Mayfield to be around 9:30 p.m. CST. The initial warning also contained a “damage considerable” NWS tag, indicating that the tornado was observed and was likely to produce considerable damage.

At 9:26 p.m. CST, the warning was upgraded to a “tornado emergency,” the highest level of tornado warning, which advised of a “life-threatening” situation.

Based on forensic radar data and storm reports, the tornado struck Mayfield around 9:27 p.m. CST, with a report indicating that major damage had occurred in town.

That meant that residents had at least 22 minutes of lead time before the tornado struck, which is nearly double the average lead time of 13 minutes for tornado warnings in the US, according to NOAA.