Radio Announcers Remember Owensboro Tornado on Anniversary
By: Chris Veech
Updated: January 3, 2013
"What I remember most about that day," said Bennefield, "was how warm it was. It was almost 80 degrees on January 3. I had worked that morning, took a big power nap. Perfect day for napping. I was awakened by sirens, and I thought 'Oh, this is not going to be good.'"
"You get up on January 3," said Spencer, "and it's in the upper 70s. You're like, trouble."
Later that afternoon, they're fears were confirmed. So close, that the radio station shut down operations and sought shelter.
"We went in the middle room," said Spencer, "and got down and the lights went out. And I thought 'Well, this is it. Let's see what happens.'"
The tornado missed their Frederica St. studios, but just barely and damage did occur to their massive radio tower.
"As soon as it was over," said Bennefield, "we had to spring into action. We ran out to the our building outside where the generator sits. We were standing in lightning and rain. And it was so dark, and there was no power anywhere. I remembered sitting in the storm trying to fire the generator up, so we could actually go on the air to tell people what happened."
"We knew the general direction the tornado had come from," said Spencer, "and we know where it was going. At that time we went back on the air, it was still on the ground in Owensboro-Daviess County. We were telling people that there's a tornado on the ground. It was unbelievable. To go over to the westside, and see the destruction of homes that were just completely eradicated, unbelievable."
13 years later, the scars are almost gone from the Owensboro landscape, but the memories remain. And residents are aware of the dangers tornadoes can bring.
"These things really do hit towns," said Bennefield. "They really cause a lot of destruction, and they're serious."
