Microburst Leaves Storm Damage In Paintsville, Kentucky

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service say their preliminary investigation shows the damage in Paintsville was caused by a microburst that included straight line winds around 80 mph. The National Weather Service defines a microburst as a localized column of sinking air, also called a downdraft, within a thunderstorm and is usually less than or equal to 2.5 miles in diameter. Microbursts push winds toward the surface and can cause extensive damage like it did in Johnson County.