Video Shows Kentucky Student Go Flying During Tornado Warning

A University of Kentucky student was knocked down while walking to class during a tornado warning on Tuesday.

Most of Kentucky was under a tornado watch Tuesday as severe storms struck the region, including in the Louisville area. According to National Weather Service messaging, severe thunderstorms still posed a risk across the region in the afternoon, with the threat of wind gusts reaching 40 miles per hour and penny-sized hail. The NWS office in Louisville oversees the Lexington area, where the university is located.

The video that documented the painful fall shows the student battling severe winds before being blown backward and temporarily going airborne before crashing to the ground. The video was shared by the social media account RawsAlerts.

“Watch as a student gets completely blown over by the powerful severe storms while attempting to reach the University of Kentucky campus earlier this morning,” RawsAlerts posted on X (formerly Twitter).

It went on: “This incident occurred in Lexington, Kentucky, during a tornado warning, with reports of winds gusting up to 70, possibly 100 mph. Significant damage has been reported across the Kentucky area, as straight-line winds, possibly embedded with a tornado, have knocked down numerous trees, power lines, and even flipped some cars while damaging homes and businesses.

“Multiple people are without power, and more dangerous weather is expected to pass through later today, with an increased threat of strong to intense, long-track tornadoes across much of the Ohio River and Tennessee Valley regions,” the post said.

The University of Kentucky canceled all in-person classes at or after 12:30 p.m. local time because of the weather, according to an X post by the school. Newsweek reached out to the university by email for comment.

A university webpage about severe weather protocols said: “UK classes and work schedules are rarely altered by the impacts of severe weather. However, the president and executive vice president for finance and administration – in consultation with senior staff – will make the final decision in the unlikely event that classes must be canceled or delayed, or when offices (excluding UK HealthCare) must be closed, to ensure the safety of our community.

“Delay and cancelation decisions will be made after reviewing information about road conditions, weather reports, local transit service and area business and industry response,” the webpage said.

The severe weather conditions come as a major storm gripped the Midwest, bringing threats of floods and severe thunderstorms to several states. A flood watch had been issued for Pittsburgh, which could receive a month’s worth of rain in only two days.