[26][56] The last area of EF3-strength damage occurred along KY 69 and Utley Drive northeast of Hartford, where a poorly-anchored block-foundation home was swept away and completely destroyed, and other houses nearby sustained total loss of their roofs and exterior walls. AFTER (right): Overview of damage in downtown Mayfield, Ky. on Dec. 11, 2021. . Structures damaged: 341 Large metal silos were crumpled and heavily damaged at a granary, and the large Mayfield water tower was toppled and destroyed. The event developed as a trough progressed eastward across the United States, interacting with an unseasonably moist and unstable . Structures destroyed or uninhabitable:356, Lyon County, KY: Another person remains missing in Lake County, he said. More than 80 feared dead after tornadoes hit central and southern US - CNN [67], Disaster relief and humanitarian groups such as the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and World Vision collected donations and provided aid after the tornado. All rights reserved. The White House said Saturday it is in touch with state and local officials and will provide the federal government's "full support as needed. A nearby church had minor structural damage. [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. President Joe Biden approved the emergency declaration, which applies to 15 impacted counties, Saturday afternoon. Numerous homes were completely leveled in Cambridge Shores, including multiple large lakeside homes that were flattened or swept away. Live updates: Deadly tornadoes slam through six states One of the most devastated sites is the southwestern Kentucky city of Mayfield, where a tornado hit the Mayfield Consumer Products. (NWS Storm Survey), Graves County Courthouse in downtown Mayfield. Numerous trees and large branches were broken near and along the Western Kentucky Parkway, starting at the Wendell Ford Regional Training Center grounds and continuing to near Central City. Homes were significantly damaged, barns and mobile homes were destroyed, a cow was killed, and thousands of large hardwood trees were downed. The tornado moved into Hickman County and appeared to intensify dramatically as it crossed US 51, where extreme ground scouring occurred in nearby fields. The tornado continued northeast causing mostly tree damage before completely destroying four tobacco barns and damaging three equipment garages off of Bradshaw Road. Its 165.7 mile long path length was on the longest for a tornado in U.S. history. (NWS Storm Survey). Most of the damage through this section of Marshall County ranged from EF2 to EF3 in intensity, though a few homes to the southwest of Benton were leveled or swept from their foundations at high-end EF3 strength. The total damage caused by the tornado in Tennessee was estimated at $25,000 (2021 USD). What makes Kentucky's devastating tornadoes so rare [1] Homes and businesses sustained significant EF3 damage in this area, and two tractor-trailers were lifted and thrown 40 yards (37m), with one of the cabs being badly mangled. Tornado . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Local Observations A tornado outbreak tore through six states on Friday night: Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Andy Beshear and more than 70 people killed. [26], Soon after, it intensified again and crossed into Caldwell County, producing EF4 damage as it impacted the south edge of Princeton, where a tornado emergency was issued. It was the deadliest and longest-tracked tornado in an outbreak that produced numerous strong tornadoes in several states; 57 fatalities were confirmed in the tornado. Continuing northeast, the tornado entered Dawson Springs in far eastern Hopkins County at 10:32 p.m. The Violent Tornado Outbreak of December 10-11, 2021 The program was created after an EF-4 tornado ripped through Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. [34][35] Most of the structures in downtown Mayfield were heavily damaged or destroyed, including multiple large, well-built, multi-story brick buildings that completely collapsed. 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. . With a confirmed death toll of 57, it was the deadliest single tornado in the United States since the Joplin, Missouri tornado on May 22, 2011, ten years earlier. CST. [1] A later 58th fatality was the result of a heart attack while clearing debris and is listed as indirect. Key events. The report notes that the tornado damage rating might have been higher had more wind resistant structures been encountered. The tornado began in Obion County, in northwest Tennessee, and tracked across 11 counties in western Kentucky: Fulton, Hickman, Graves, Marshall, Lyon, Caldwell, Hopkins, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Breckenridge, and Grayson. The tornado then crossed into Todd County where mostly tree damage and damage to farm/outbuildings were observed. Bowling Green, the home of Western Kentucky University, also saw extensive damage the school canceled commencement ceremonies scheduled for Saturday in the aftermath of the storm. Damage to a house in rural Hickman County. A devastating tornado outbreak has killed dozens of people across multiple states, with Kentucky possibly seeing its deadliest tornado system ever, officials said. UPDATE: Tornado Warning extended to 3:15 PM Posted by Butler County Sheriff's Office on Monday, February 27, 2023 As of 3:08 p.m., wind gusts were closed at 51 mph at Lunken Airport and 46 mph at CVG. 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." Deaths: 11 The tornado then took straight aim for the city of Pembroke where significant tree damage was observed along with multiple houses with roof damage. Authorities had initially said two people were killed. Deaths: 15 The EF-3 tornado had peak winds of at least 155 mph, according to the National Weather Service. 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. [1][26], After moving to the northeast of Cayce, the tornado weakened but still remained strong as it moved through rural areas to the northeast of town at EF3 intensity, destroying barns and a cell tower, and tearing the roof and exterior walls from a house. [68], In June 2022, the Mayfield City Council put several blocks in the city's heavily impacted downtown under a building permit freeze as they strategized how to rebuild in the area, before rezoning the area in December 2022 for "less restrictive" commercial and residential mixed-use development. Cars were thrown hundreds of yards and mangled. [22][23], Effects from the system responsible for the outbreak extended into Canada, where the Meteorological Service of Canada issued wind and heavy rainfall warnings for portions of Ontario. A neighborhood near the Princeton Golf and Country Club was hit at 10:18 p.m., and several structures experienced EF-4 tornado damage. It abruptly intensified to high-end EF4 strength as it crossed and paralleled KY 175 through the north side of town. Forecast Discussion A neighborhood near the Princeton Golf and Country Club was hit at 10:18 p.m., and several structures experienced EF-4 tornado damage. The tornado continued to devastate residential areas, levelling or sweeping homes from their foundations. South of Earlington, the tornado derailed a train, moving several rail cars several feet up an embankment next to the railroad tracks. Additional high-end EF3 damage occurred and another tornado emergency was issued as it moved through Barnsley, just south of Earlington. 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. 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. Chris Phillips/Maverick Media Group, LLC via Reuters. Tornado devastation in Bremen on December 13, 2021. Two other buildings were also heavily damaged along with multiple silos destroyed. However, no tornadoes were expected nor reported north of the border.[24]. 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. One such stormwhich formed from the initial mid-afternoon activity near Arkadelphia, Arkansasmatured into a long-lived supercell as it progressed in an unstable, deeply moist, and highly sheared environment;[10] this cell ultimately persisted for longer than 550 miles (890km) over several hours from eastern Arkansas to northeastern Kentucky, producing two large and intense tornadoes along its track, among eleven tornadoes in total. 2023 www.courier-journal.com. "This has been the most devastating tornado event in our state's history," Beshear said during a Saturday morning press briefing. (NWS Storm Survey), Ground level view of the destruction in downtown Mayfield. Tornadoes were also confirmed on the ground in Mayfield, Kentucky, at about 9:30 p.m. local time and in Princeton, Kentucky, just after 10 p.m. 2021 Western Kentucky tornado A long-tracked wedge spawned by the Quad-State supercell, that damaged, destroyed, or obliterated thousands of structures along a path of 165.6 miles (266.5 km) while moving at 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). [58], In 2022, Timothy Marshall, a meteorologist, structural and forensic engineer; Zachary B. Wienhoff, with Haag Engineering Company; Christine L. Wielgos, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service of Paducah; and Brian E. Smith, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service of Omaha, published a damage survey of portions of the tornados track, particularly through Mayfield and Dawson Springs. [4] The following day, the SPC discussed higher certainty in a corridor of organized severe thunderstorm potential stretching from southeastern Arkansas northeast into southern Indiana, upgrading that region to an enhanced risk. The tornado then crossed KY 54, where the last area of EF2 damage occurred, as a frail home was destroyed and left with only a few walls standing, and large trees were snapped, one of which fell on and destroyed a car. After moving northeast a half mile (0.8km), it crossed the TennesseeKentucky state line near the community of State Line in Fulton County, causing additional EF0 tree damage. Some outbuildings were also damaged or destroyed in this area. As of 7:30 p.m. Saturday, more than 437,000 customers were without power across Tennessee, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Arkansas. In Mayfield, according to the National Weather Service, more than 4,000 structures were impacted (damaged or destroyed), including 3,778 residences, 183 commercial buildings, and 103 other structures. Structures destroyed or uninhabitable: 84. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The concrete foundation was scoured away. GUNNAR WORD/AFP via Getty Images A resident of the The Cardinal Inn in Bowling Green, Kentucky, looks at the damage after a tornado touched down on December 11, 2021. It's completely possible that the December 10th tornado in WKY contained either a satellite tornado, or underwent a vortex merger in Dawson Springs. The tornado produced those 57 fatalities in multiple locations along its extended damage path, killing 24 people in Graves County (which also saw more than 200 of the total injuries), 15 in Hopkins County, 11 in Muhlenberg County, 4 in Caldwell County, and 1 person each in Fulton, Marshall, and Lyon counties. Deaths: 1 (@Kentuckyweather) December 11, 2021. of Oklahoma), Regional radar loop across the Lower Ohio and Mid-Mississippi River valleys from 6 PM Dec. 10 to 8 AM Dec. 11. An American Legion post and a car wash were flattened, while a church and a medical clinic sustained major damage. . Kentucky tornadoes: Death toll from tornadoes rises to 74 | CNN Hourly Forecasts 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. Aerial footage of damage in Dawson Springs. The tornado began in Obion County, in northwest Tennessee, and tracked across 11 counties in western Kentucky: Fulton, Hickman, Graves, Marshall, Lyon, Caldwell, Hopkins, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Breckenridge, and Grayson. 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. To the northeast of Dawson Springs and Interstate 69 there was damage to small barns and other farm outbuildings, along with roofs and walls separated from floor and undercarriages of manufactured homes. Our Office There were reports of two people dead after a tornado moved through northeast Arkansas, according to Gov. Several homes had significant roof damage. Minor tree damage occurred before the tornado finally dissipated near Park Drive in Grayson County at 11:48p.m. CST (5:48 UTC) as it entered Rough River Dam State Resort Park near Rough River Lake, approximately four miles (6.4km) west of McDaniels. [51] Thousands of large trees were mowed down, and vehicles were flipped. [41] Damage continued through the Briensburg community at EF2 intensity, where homes sustained partial to total roof loss, outbuildings were damaged or destroyed, and a metal truss tower collapsed. Kentucky Tornadoes Followed Flash Floods, Ice Storm and a Covid Spike Mayfield, with a population of about 10,000, is in Graves County, which borders Tennessee. The tornado scoured multiple trenches into the ground in this area, with all grass and several inches of topsoil removed in the worst affected areas. 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.