occurred to several homes, farm outbuildings, and structures on Palmyra Road. 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. Structures destroyed: 45, Caldwell County, KY: Map of storm reports and warning polygons, (red=Tornado Warning, yellow=Severe Tstm Warning), Convoy of Hope in Lyon County (Lyon County EMA), Rebuilding homes in Lyon County (Lyon County EMA), Delivering new appliances to tornado victims in Lyon County (Lyon County EMA). "We will get through this, we will rebuild," Beshear said early Saturday. [65] The NWS office in Paducah requested mental health officers be there to assist the meteorologists due to potential trauma from assessing the path of devastation from the tornado. A mobile home was completely demolished and significant roofing damage was done to a brick home on Herndon 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. [52][53] A total of 11 people were killed in and around Bremen, and others were injured. [60], On December 11, Kentucky governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency for parts of western Kentucky, followed that same day by President Joe Biden's approval of a federal emergency disaster declaration for the state of Kentucky. Questions? 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. Structures damaged: 341 [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). Unreal #kywx", "Kentucky tornado updates: Death toll now 76; another Mayfield candle factory worker dies", "We're out here at the UK Research Center in Princeton and this is the most intense tornado damage I've ever seen in my life", "Damage Survey of the Mayfield, KY Tornado: 10 December 2021", "Tornado Emergency For Dawson Springs and St. Charles", "Dawson Springs mother clutched her 2 kids in bed when the storm lifted her mattress into the air", "Photo from tornado-damaged home lands almost 130 miles away", "1.) [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. Hundreds of trees were downed along Cane Ford Road, and an abandoned trailer home was destroyed. The lawsuit alleges that the factory had up to three and a half hours to let workers leave as safety precautions and did not, and the company showed a "flagrant indifference to the rights of workers" and violated the Kentucky occupational safety and health workplace standards, by refusing evacuations. William Widmer for The New York Times. 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. Some outbuildings were also damaged or destroyed in this area. [18][19], The SPC issued a record-setting 43 mesoscale discussions (MCD) throughout the course of the day (12 UTC December 10 to 12 UTC December 11), all of which were associated with the broader storm system: 38 of the MCDs issued were convective discussions relating to the severe thunderstorm activity, and five were non-convective discussions relating to heavy snow associated with the system that concurrently fell throughout much of the Upper Midwest. [20] The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a total of 149 tornado warnings throughout the night across portions of nine states including Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana. [54] Among the fatalities was District Judge Brian Crick, who represented Muhlenberg and McLean counties, as confirmed in a statement from the Supreme Court of Kentucky on December 11. 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. Lucas Aulbach can be reached at laulbach@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4649 or on Twitter @LucasAulbach. One fatality occurred in Cayce, and several other people were injured. In all, there were 15 fatalities, 200 injuries, and over 1500 damaged structures in Hopkins County. 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. [1] 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. 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. Items of Interest On December 12, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite acquired this natural-color image of the tornado track across western Kentucky near Mayfield. The tornado moved into Hickman County and appeared to intensify dramatically as it crossed US 51, where extreme ground scouring occurred in nearby fields. Below are some pictures and videos showing the recovery work that happened in 2022. Still producing violent EF-4 damage, numerous homes and pieces of infrastructure suffered catastrophic damage. Injuries: 25 The storms caused tornadoes to form in the early evening hours west of Kentucky. Additionally dozens of vehicles were tossed hundreds of yards from the buildings parking lot. "I think the largest loss of life in this tornado event is and will be there.". Asa Hutchinson. Paducah, KY, FORECASTS A tornado near Hornersville, Missouri, was on the ground at about 8 p.m. local time. Moving northeast, the tornado raced through Graves County, reaching the city of Mayfield at 9:26 p.m. Mayfield experienced profound damage, including the near-total destruction of Mayfields downtown historic district. 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. One person was receiving medical treatment, he added, with the effort shifting to a search and recovery mission. Tornado #1 - Long-TrackEF-4 across western Kentucky. The first observed damage was in Newbern near Washington Street. Hundreds of trees were downed in this area, and a couple of structures sustained minor damage. However, the National Weather Service did not confirm this.[48][49]. [21][15], Multiple PDS tornado warnings and tornado emergencies were also issued as well in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri. One tornado potentially was on the ground for 227 miles, Beshear said, devastating towns like Mayfield and Princeton late Friday. Its. 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. Cheney Orr / Reuters [26], Afterward, the tornado intensified even further, reaching near high-end EF4 intensity as it tore directly through the center of town, resulting in widespread, catastrophic damage throughout the historic downtown square of Mayfield. Tornado devastation in Dawson Springs on December 13, 2021. Its 165.7 mile long path length was on the longest for a tornado in U.S. history. After exiting Bremen, the tornado crossed through mainly rural areas of eastern Muhlenberg, Ohio, Breckenridge, and Grayson counties. The post office, city hall, fire station, and police station were also significantly damaged or destroyed,[29] and the emergency operations center lost the ability to transmit radio communications. The tornado was the deadliest in U.S. history to occur in the month of December. Andy Beshear. The tornadoes were part of a weather system that also caused. Across Graves County, 24 people died, and at least 200 people were injured. Oak Grove Road. J. 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. WFO Paducah Navigator After crossing Lake Barkley on the eastern side of the recreation area, the tornado was now in Lyon County. Its path stretched more than 220 miles, Beshear said at a 5 a.m. press conference covering the devastation. 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. In Bremen, the tornado claimed the lives of 11 residents of the town of 300 people. (NWS Storm Survey). Aerial view of damage to the Cambridge Shores and Sherwood Shores communities on Kentucky Lake. [13][14][15], Elsewhere, multiple lines of intense storms, some featuring embedded supercells, developed across the Mississippi Valley region through the overnight hours, contributing to additional strong and long-lived tornadoes. In Kentucky, it struck Mayfield directly before moving northeast through Benton, Princeton and Beaver Dam before weakening in Breckinridge County. It should have shut down':Inside the final frantic hours of the Mayfield candle factory. More significant damage A school bus garage, metal industrial buildings, and apartment buildings also sustained major structural damage or were destroyed in other areas of town. Storm and Precipitation Reports 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. [51] Thousands of large trees were mowed down, and vehicles were flipped. (Chris Conley), Aerial footage of damage in Dawson Springs. 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. The tornado continued northeast causing mostly tree damage before completely destroying four tobacco barns and damaging three equipment garages off of Bradshaw Road. Structures damaged: 1000 (estimate) Devastated forecast at Hillman Ferry in Land Between the Lakes NRA. Kentucky tornadoes: governor says death toll expected to grow as crews sift through ruins. Emmons found the cat hiding in a dresser drawer. 14 Dec 2021. Past Barnsley, the tornado passed through an unpopulated swampy area, where more large trees were snapped or uprooted, and damage was rated EF2. According to meteorologist Bob Henson: "No U.S. tornado is known to have killed more than 80 people outside the core . The governor declared a state of emergency and submitted a request for a federal emergency declaration. About. 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. The next tornado then touched back down just to the east across the Todd/Logan County line. [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. 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. Please select one of the following: At 10:14 p.m., the tornado reached Caldwell County. CST. Large barns and garages were completely demolished, and a small brick office structure was destroyed, along with homes, very large silos, and a fertilizer storage facility. 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. [63] More than 4,500 people attended a tornado relief concert in August 2022. 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. Track Map (Screenshot taken from interactive map above), Tornado #2 - Long-Track EF-3 across NW TN into W KY. One person perished near the western shore of Lake Barkley near Eddyville. A hangar and some small airplanes were destroyed at the Mayfield Graves County Airport, and multiple homes were badly damaged. Kentucky tornadoes: governor says death toll expected to grow as crews sift through ruins. After the dissipation of that tornado in Obion County northeast of Samburg, the supercell produced three weak, brief tornadoes before this one formed several miles to the northeast. Despite a COVID-19 surge in Kentucky, Beshear said hospitals were in good shape. Observed Precipitation, RADAR 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. The tornado was the deadliest in U.S. history to occur in the month of December. Most of the damage in this area was to farm buildings, but some homes near the town of Hartford in Ohio County suffered EF-3 damage. NOAA Climate Service, LOCAL INFORMATION (Tomer Burg/Univ. Perhaps relevant to the deadly toll in the Kentucky event, tornado frequency is increasing in winter months, . (NWS Storm Survey). Its 165.7 mile long path length was on the longest for a tornado in U.S. history. NWS Cars were thrown, copious amounts of structural debris were strewn in all directions, countless trees were shredded and debarked, and only rubble remained in the hardest-hit neighborhoods. [26][56] Damage of up to high-end EF2 intensity occurred beyond this point as the tornado crossed Humble Valley Road, Halls Creek Road, and Mount Vernon Road before passing north of Olaton. After moving through Mayfield, the tornado showed no signs of weakening as it tracked northeast through rural eastern Graves County and western Marshall County. 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. University of Kentucky Research and Education Center south of Princeton. 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. [28] As the tornado entered Mayfield, it regained EF4 intensity, and numerous homes were damaged or destroyed along Cardinal Road, some of which were leveled or swept from their foundations. [57] It was rated high-end EF4, with an estimated peak wind speed of 190mph (310km/h). This is a screen grab from video on my dash camera. [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. FEMA was advising residents from east-central Mississippi to extreme southwestern Virginia to stay vigilant as the storm system moved east. 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. In Madisonville, Kentucky, a train derailment was caused by the storms, though no injuries were reported. The tornado received a maximum rating of EF2 in Christian County and EF1 in Todd County, and 4 people were 200 PHOTOS . Commercial properties: The tornado finally weakened and dissipated near the Falls of Rough in Grayson County at 11:55 p.m. 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. Cars were thrown hundreds of yards and mangled. Click to enlarge. . In this area, 15 residents of Dawson Springs perished. Concrete floor slabs were torn from the foundation of one home and shattered, while the paved driveway of another residence was cracked and scoured. (NWS Storm Survey), Aerial view of the destruction of the Cambridge Shores community on Kentucky Lake (NWS Storm Survey).