On Wednesday, Jessamine County faced wind, hail, and a tornado during the first significant severe weather outbreak of the spring season.

According to officials with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Louisville, multiple waves of severe thunderstorms affected the area during the morning, afternoon and evening, including one during the morning hours that produced an EF1 tornado.

The storm damaged several local businesses.

According to Nicholasville Police Department officials, nine buildings east of the Boot Store on Nicholasville Road in north Jessamine County have been damaged. Officials ask locals to avoid the area.

The Jessamine County Emergency Management Agency’s Facebook page announced at around 1:30 p.m. that the area had been evacuated and all utilities had been controlled. The area has been secured and no one is allowed in.

With business owners concerned about accessing their businesses on the secured street, The City of Nicholasville posted on its Facebook page that Park Central Avenue business owners can return to survey their properties from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. as another severe weather system was expected to move into the area later in the evening.

Anyone arriving in the area must check in with Jessamine County Emergency Management in front of 1002 Park Central Avenue.

The storm system that produced the Jessamine County tornado also produced touchdowns in Anderson and Mercer counties. Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency Wednesday afternoon.