Damaged reported in Pulaski County from possible tornado during Friday storms

BURNSIDE, Ky. (WYMT) - Track workers will be spending their weekend cleaning up at the Lake Cumberland Speedway in Pulaski County.

Just after 2:00 p.m. in the Burnside community, storm winds damaged several buildings at the racetrack. Some of the damaged items include signs, fencing and more.

The track owner, Brandon Hardgrove, said he and other workers heard a loud roar, then were heartbroken to see the damage.

The track’s sign was down, buildings toppled over, signs ripped apart and even Porta Potties destroyed. Several utility poles and a lighting system just put in were also destroyed or at least heavily damaged.

“It is just devastating,” said Hardgrove. “We have put so much into the Lake Cumberland Speedway after we opened back up after we closed down for a few years. We have built it into something that I had a vision for. To walk out and see our dreams just crushed.”

He said, despite the damage, they will work get through this and have their race next weekend.

“It’s done a lot of damage. everything here is going to need attention before next Saturday night for sure,” said Hardgrove.

Meanwhile, the Speedway wasn’t the only thing damaged in that area.

Two trailers were blown off of their foundation, including one that had a couple inside. The couple’s son said they needed stitches but have been released.

The trailer in the Bronston community is a loss and several other neighbors have some cleaning up to do.

Trees snapped in half and cinderblocks were thrown around like Legos.

Earlier in the day, U.S. 25, also known as the Cumberland Falls Highway, at the I-75 exit in Corbin was underwater and cars were stuck in flash flooding.

“There was a little car stuck in the ditch. They was able to get the feller out, no harm,” Said Douglas Barger, who witnessed it all go down.

He said the water went down almost as fast as it came up.

“We thought everything was fine. we looked out the window and water everywhere,” Barger said.

While damage was minimal in Corbin, the cleanup is going to take more time in Pulaski County.

No Tornado Warning was issued in Pulaski County when the damaging storm rolled through. The National Weather Service will be out Saturday morning in the Bronston, Burnside and Haynes Knob areas to survey the damage.

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