Its path length of 165 miles was the ninth longest tornado path ever recorded in the U.S. Tornado devastation in Mayfield on December 11, 2021. Please try another search. (NWS Storm Survey), Poultry farm on Clark Road in Fulton County. Please Contact Us. destroyed with the occupants injured. 1159 damaged and 730destroyed (NWS Storm Survey), University of Kentucky Research and Education Center south of Princeton. Passing near the MuhlenbergMcLean county line, the tornado weakened substantially as it crossed into Ohio County at 11:10p.m. (05:10 UTC), producing EF1 damage as it traversed rugged, hilly terrain to the west of Centertown. Farm outbuildings and mobile homes were demolished, and multiple houses sustained major damage or were destroyed, some of which of which were flattened. Four fatalities occurred in Princeton, along with numerous injuries. At 5:51p.m. CST, the National Weather Service office in North Little Rock issued the first tornado warning associated with the storm for portions of Jackson, Lawrence, White, and Woodruff counties. Many family residence homes experienced loss of significant roof covering material, collapsed chimneys and garage doors, and walls completely folded with broken windows and shattered glass. Across Graves County, 24 people died, and at least 200 people were injured. Injuries: 5 A road sign along the Western Kentucky Parkway was blown about a tenth of a mile near the end of the track. (NWS Storm Survey), Ground level view of the destruction in downtown Mayfield. (Chris Conley), Destroyed neighborhood near the city park in Dawson Springs. Structures destroyed: 45, Caldwell County, KY: . Weakening slightly to high-end EF3 strength but continuing to cause major damage, the tornado tracked to the northeast beyond Dawson Springs, passing north of Ilsley and through the rural community of Carbondale. After exiting Bremen, the tornado crossed through mainly rural areas of eastern Muhlenberg, Ohio, Breckenridge, and Grayson counties. Tornado #1 - Long-TrackEF-4 across western Kentucky. [37] 22 people were killed in and around Mayfield, with hundreds more injured, many severely.[38][39][40][26]. The most severe damage in Caldwell County occurred as the tornado passed just south of Princeton. On the evening of Friday, December 10, 2021, a potent storm system moving across the central United States resulted in widespread severe weather across the region, including a significant long track tornadoes. I bailed eastward about 15 seconds later", "Tornado Emergency For Earlington and Afton, KY", "Kentucky tornado derails a train in Hopkins County; one car lands on home", "Before and after photos from a newly constructed home in Bremen. . Damage to several homes in a neighborhood at the Princeton County Club. One fatality occurred in Cayce, and several other people were injured. As the tornado approached Interstate 24, mostly tree damage was observed with a few structures impacted as well. Injuries: 25 Deaths: 15 Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by the storm. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the. (NWS Storm Survey), Aerial view of the destruction of the Cambridge Shores community on Kentucky Lake (NWS Storm Survey). (NWS Storm Survey). Despite a COVID-19 surge in Kentucky, Beshear said hospitals were in good shape. [66], The tornado's major impacts on Graves County Court operationsincluding the destruction of the courthouse in Mayfieldled the Kentucky Supreme Court to suspend the county's court operations (including physical and electronic court filings) between December 13, 2021 and January 11, 2022. Other structures: A church and a business were damaged nearby, and further weakening occurred further to the northeast, where EF0 to EF1 damage to trees and structures was noted. Local (NWS Storm Survey). More than 100 people were working at a candle manufacturing plant during the storm, Beshear said, and a roof collapse at the facility resulted in "mass casualties. No deaths or injuries. . occurred to several homes, farm outbuildings, and structures on Palmyra Road. One tornado potentially was on the ground for 227 miles, Beshear said, devastating towns like Mayfield and Princeton late Friday. More were expected early Saturday. It's completely possible that the December 10th tornado in WKY contained either a satellite tornado, or underwent a vortex merger in Dawson Springs. [43] Trees were stripped of their limbs and partially debarked in and around Princeton, barns and farm buildings were obliterated, livestock was killed, and cycloidal markings were left in fields outside of town. Mayfield is south of Paducah, a town in Western Kentucky with an estimated population of about 25,000 people. A state of emergency has been declared by Kentucky Gov. After moving through Mayfield, the tornado showed no signs of weakening as it tracked northeast through rural eastern Graves County and western Marshall County. Past Briensburg, EF3 damage was noted along Lowery Road, where a poorly-anchored home was leveled, and a few other homes sustained EF2 damage along this segment of the path. The most An aerial view of the damage to the candle factory after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several states, in Mayfield, Ky., Dec. 11, 2021. (Tomer Burg/Univ. [71][72] Workers said they were told by management that "if you leave, youre more than likely to be fired. At least six people died in the collapse, Illinois Gov. Its. [16][17] By the pre-dawn hours of December11, a decrease in instability led to a gradual weakening of a line of thunderstorms stretching along the associated cold front from eastern Kentucky southward into central Alabama. 5 people were injured in west Tennessee. The Dawson Village apartment complex was totally destroyed, and several two-story brick apartment buildings sustained EF4 damage there, being largely reduced to rubble with only a few first-floor interior walls left intact. The storm originated in Arkansas, according to Kentucky Division of Emergency Management director Michael Dossett, and touched down in Missouri and Tennessee before making its way into the Bluegrass State, where it ripped through the western half of the state before finally weakening in central Kentucky. [70], Accusations that factory management prohibited workers from leaving the candle factory in Mayfield before the tornado struck were reported on December 13. Houses that were farther away from the center of the damage path sustained roof and exterior wall loss, while mobile homes, barns, garages, and outbuildings were also destroyed. In a statement Saturday night, Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, said: "Were deeply saddened by the news that members of our Amazon family passed away as a result of the storm in Edwardsville, IL. A tale of two loads of Kentucky tornado relief collected, distributed, with owner-op Daniel Koors (Podcast Episode 2021) Movies, TV, Celebs, and more. "This will be, I believe, the deadliest tornado system to ever run through Kentucky," he added. Tornado Watch Issued Friday; A potent storm system moved across the central United States on December 10-11, 2021 resulting in widespread severe weather. Here's how the National Weather Service decides", "More than 4,500 attend Mayfield tornado relief concert", "Mayfield City Council rezones parts of historic downtown to aid in tornado recovery", "Temporary tornado memorial placed in Mayfield court square", "Kentucky candle factory bosses threatened to fire those who fled tornado, say workers", "Kentucky tornado: Candle factory workers threatened with being fired if they fled approaching storm, report says", "Kentucky tornado aftermath: Candle factory workers file lawsuit as state death toll rises to 76", "Kentucky candle factory destroyed by deadly tornado is closing", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2021_Western_Kentucky_tornado&oldid=1140392622, 2021 natural disasters in the United States, December 2021 events in the United States, Articles to be expanded from February 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, December 10, 2021, 11:48p.m. CST (UTC06:00), This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 22:26. Land Between the Lakes area of Stewart County and did massive tree damage to heavily wooded areas uprooting thousands of trees along its path. A house had roof damage and windows were blown out. SCOTT COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) When storms roll in to Scott County, a lot of people think back to the early-morning of December 6, 2021. During the second, more intense tornado, peak gate-to-gate velocities of 128mph (206km/h; 111kn) were recorded at 9:58p.m. CST (04:58 UTC) over northeastern Marshall County, Kentucky. Questions? (NOAA/NASA), Before and after satellite imagery of the Cambridge Shores community on Kentucky Lake in Marshall County. Its 165.7 mile long path length was on the longest for a tornado in U.S. history. Structures damaged: 40 Several homes had significant roof damage. (NWS Storm Survey), Blueridge Road near Lake Barkley in Lyon County. Kentucky tornadoes: governor says death toll expected to grow as crews sift through ruins. Five large chicken houses were destroyed, and hundreds of large hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted along a quarter-mile wide swath along this section of the path. Emergency Management director Michael Hennigan remembers it . The tornado struck a well constructed single Share on Facebook; . Its 165.7 mile long path length was on the longest for a tornado in U.S. history. Only large piles of bricks and lumber remained in the hardest-hit portions of the downtown area, and streets were left buried under debris. Structures damaged: Unknown [45] 14 people were killed in the Dawson Springs area, and many others were injured. Numerous tornadoes occurred with storms that traveled through Kentucky Friday evening into Saturday morning (Dec 10-11) including a significant long track tornado that devastated Mayfield, KY. AFTER (right): Overview of damage in downtown Mayfield, Ky. on Dec. 11, 2021. . Two anchored mobile homes were also swept away and destroyed, with their frames tossed and bent, one of which was thrown 100 yards (91m). Time lapse of home reconstruction in Mayfield. (NWS Storm Survey). About. The storms caused tornadoes to form in the early evening hours west of Kentucky. University of Kentucky Research and Education Center south of Princeton. injured. "One block from my grandparents' house, there's no house standing," Beshear said. Paducah, KY8250 Kentucky Highway 3520West Paducah, KY 42086-9762270-744-6440Comments? In 2022, Timothy Marshall, . Structures damaged: 40 In all, there were 15 fatalities, 200 injuries, and over 1500 damaged structures in Hopkins County. The Graves County Courthouse in Mayfield was also heavily damaged in Friday night's deadly tornado, according to the statement. (NWS Storm Survey), Tossed vehicles and destroyed buildings in Mayfield. The tornado again reached EF4 intensity as it tore directly through the small community of Cambridge Shores, located along the western shore of Kentucky Lake. [11] One of the first tornadoes associated with the storm, an EF0, touched down in western Poinsett County (near Weiner) around 6:40p.m. CST; about fifteen minutes later, storm spotters reported a large tornado near Greenfield, prompting a PDS tornado warning for portions of Poinsett, Craighead and Mississippi counties (including areas to the south of Jonesboro). One person perished near the western shore of Lake Barkley near Eddyville. He joined the newspaper in September 2021 after previously working with . family brick home near Bear Creek where it took off the roof and top story. Structures destroyed: 21, Hickman County, KY: Deaths: 1 Tornado #3 - EF-1Tornado near Central City, KY. A relatively weak and short-lived tornado occurred on the evening of December 10, 2021,in central Muhlenberg County prior to the larger and more powerful EF-4 tornado in northern parts of the county. An aerial view of homes and business destroyed by a tornado on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. A house along KY 339 had its roof torn off, and many trees and power poles were downed in this area. The University of Kentucky Research Center was destroyed, with metal roof trusses carried hundreds of yards from the structure and wrapped around trees. (NWS Storm Survey), Damage to a forest along Bayou de Chien in Hickman County. Multiple locations were found. Around 10:55 p.m. the tornado left Hopkins County and entered Muhlenberg County, reaching the small community of Bremen at 11:00 p.m. Several homes experienced catastrophic EF-4 damage here. Residential areas in the northern part of Dawson Springs were devastated, with entire blocks of homes destroyed, many of which were leveled or swept from their foundations. Local residents walk past the scene of a train derailment after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several states in Earlington, Ky., on Dec. 11, 2021. Still producing violent EF-4 damage, numerous homes and pieces of infrastructure suffered catastrophic damage. Fulton County, KY: Beshear has activated the National Guard, with 181 guardsmen deployed for search and rescue and recovery operations. Cheney Orr / Reuters One person was receiving medical treatment, he added, with the effort shifting to a search and recovery mission. was granted after FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and DHS Sec. Documentary titled "The Deadliest Tornado Outbreak in 10 Years: December 10th, 2021 - A Retrospective" which includes NWS and SPC interviews, Tornado outbreak of December 1011, 2021 Meteorological synopsis, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, List of F4 and EF4 tornadoes (2020present), "Dec 8, 2021 0830 UTC Day 3 Severe Thunderstorm Outlook", "Dec 9, 2021 0700 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook", "Dec 10, 2021 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook", "Deadly path: How tornadoes ripped through states", "December tornadoes aren't rare, but Friday's outbreak was something totally different", "The record-breaking tornadoes that swept the United States, by the numbers", "An overview of the Mesoscale Discussions", "How Friday night's rare and deadly December tornado outbreak unfolded", "Many trapped, two dead as tornado hits nursing home in Arkansas -media", "Environment Canada issues wind warning for most of southern Ontario", "Storm Event Database 2021-12-10 20:54 CST-6", "Some ground scouring along Hwy 51 between Clinton and Fulton, KY", "At least 70 feared dead in Kentucky as tornadoes rip through swaths of U.S.", "Catastrophic tornado damage reported in Mayfield, Kentucky", "Thousands without heat, water after tornadoes kill dozens", "Kentucky tornadoes: 8 confirmed dead at candle factory, 8 still missing", "Factory workers threatened with firing if they left before tornado, employees say", "Deadly tornadoes, storms strike US; roof collapse at Amazon", "Kentucky tornado death toll: 50 people have been confirmed dead after storms by officials", "Severe tornado hits Mayfield, Kentucky, destroying buildings; Police say loss of life 'expected', "Usually, we can call these "hail spikes." To be exact, 72 of those counties are without obstetric services. South of Earlington, the tornado derailed a train, moving several rail cars several feet up an embankment next to the railroad tracks. Asa Hutchinson. A deadly late-season tornado outbreak, the deadliest on record in December, produced catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities across portions of the Southern United States and Ohio Valley from the evening of December 10 to the early morning of December 11, 2021. Some outbuildings were also damaged or destroyed in this area. On Thursday, the National Weather Service tweeted that the portion of the tornado that traveled through through Western Kentucky was given a preliminary damage rating of EF4. [1] Injuries: 5 Photos by Jeff Stevens on facebook", "Tragic tornado damage to neighborhood on NW side of Bremen, KY", "Kentucky district judge confirmed dead in tornado outbreak", "NWS Damage Survey for 12/10/2021 Tornado Event Ohio/Breckinridge/Grayson County Kentucky Tornado", "One Year Later, Tornado Recovery Continues to Make Progress", "Kentucky tornado survivors living in limbo nearly one year later", "Kentucky hardest hit as storms leave dozens dead in 5 states", "Governor Andy Beshear declares a State of Emergency after Western Kentucky tornadoes", "Mayfield, Ky., mayor: 'There's always hope. "Heartbreaking devastation and loss of life from tornadoes and severe weather across the Midwest and South," he said on Twitter, adding that DHS and FEMA "stand ready to assist the people of Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee.". This is a screen grab from video on my dash camera. [26], Past Midway, the tornado became violent and reached EF4 strength again, producing catastrophic damage as it made a direct hit on the city of Dawson Springs, located along the CaldwellHopkins county line. Serving Madisonville and Hopkins County, KY. CURRENT HAZARDS One person was killed at a nursing home in Monette when a suspected tornado moved through Friday night, Craighead County, Arkansas, Judge Marvin Day told Jonesboro ABC affiliate KAIT. According to meteorologist Bob Henson: "No U.S. tornado is known to have killed more than 80 people outside the core . The tornado was the deadliest in U.S. history to occur in the month of December. Continuing northeast, the tornado entered Dawson Springs in far eastern Hopkins County at 10:32 p.m. An RV camper was thrown 30 yards (27m) in this area as well, landing upside down, while tractors and large hay bales were also thrown considerable distances. [35][26][46] A photograph was lofted from a destroyed house in Dawson Springs and transported almost 130 miles (210km) by the intense tornadic updrafts, eventually being found in New Albany, Indiana. The toll makes it the deadliest tornado ever recorded in the United States in the month of December, in addition to being the deadliest tornado in over a decade. The tornado reached Hickman County at 9:06 p.m., where the tornado damaged 40 buildings, with at least 12 buildings completely destroyed. [27] However, no structures were impacted near US 51, and no rating was applied to the intense scouring. Seven miles north of Benton in the small town of Briensburg, there were a few homes with large sections of roof structures removed, though most walls remained standing. Another long-track EF-3 tornado with estimated peak winds of 160 mphstarted in Dyer County, TN, and traveled 122.7 miles through northwest Tennessee and into Christian and Todd Counties in western Kentucky. The Paducah officealso saidan aerial assessment of damage appearedto show an "historic long track tornado" that was at least three-quarters of a mile wide in Kentucky as it went from southwest of Cayce in Fulton County to at least Beaver Dam in Ohio County. The tornado finally weakened and dissipated near the Falls of Rough in Grayson County at 11:55 p.m. of Oklahoma), Regional radar loop across the Lower Ohio and Mid-Mississippi River valleys from 6 PM Dec. 10 to 8 AM Dec. 11. (NWS Storm Survey). Complete destruction of homes on Bethlehem Cemetery Road in Bremen. The death toll in the "most severe tornado event in Kentucky's history" may end up "exceeding 100 before the day is done," Beshear said. Numerous homes were completely leveled in Cambridge Shores, including multiple large lakeside homes that were flattened or swept away. Key events. The program was created after an EF-4 tornado ripped through Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. NWS storm damage surveys found a violent EF-4tornado began in far northwest Tennesseeand moved across western Kentucky, resulting in significant destruction to portions of the region. (NOAA/NASA), Before and after satellite imagery of Dawson Springs in Hopkins County. Despite the potential for a higher-end severe threat to materialize, forecasters expressed uncertainty regarding the extent of instability, degree of directional wind shear, and late timing of potential storms. The worst of the damage occurred near the Dawson Springs park, where several homes were completely destroyed, including a few low rise apartment buildings. Several buildings and homes in downtown Dresden suffered significant damage or were completely destroyed. In Bremen, the tornado claimed the lives of 11 residents of the town of 300 people. Structures destroyed or uninhabitable: 84. Activity Planner, CLIMATE AND PAST WEATHER The freight train was carrying hazardous materials, Beshear wrote in his letter asking for a federal emergency declaration. [28], The National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency for Mayfield at 9:26p.m. CST (03:26 UTC) as the now-massive wedge tornado approached the town from the southwest. [61] The tornado destroyed primarily low-income rental housing units, leading to a depleted stock of affordable housing in the city; the Mayfield Housing Authority reported that it had more than 700 requests for one-bedroom units almost a year after the tornado.