Submit a Storm Report, CURRENT CONDITIONS :EF3, or higherEarly estimates of the strength and size of the main Kentucky tornado. The most severe damage in Caldwell County occurred as the tornado passed just south of Princeton. Numerous agricultural buildings and electrical and communication lines were also destroyed. A mobile home was completely demolished and significant roofing damage was done to a brick home on Herndon 200 PHOTOS . 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. Land Between the Lakes area of Stewart County and did massive tree damage to heavily wooded areas uprooting thousands of trees along its path. (NWS Storm Survey). University of Kentucky Research and Education Center south of Princeton. SKYWARN "For those that have seen it, what it's done here in Graves County and elsewhere, it is indescribable.". Updated: Powerful tornadoes cut path across Kentucky; at least 70 But the weather service initially said damage appeared to be consistent with an F3 tornado capable of producing winds as strong as 206 mph. MAYFIELD, Ky., Dec 11 (Reuters) - At least 100 people were feared dead in Kentucky after a swarm of tornadoes tore a 200-mile path through the U.S. Midwest and South, demolishing homes,. 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. 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. [26], The tornado reached a peak width of 1.5 miles (2.4km), and was on the ground for nearly three hours, tracking 165.6 miles (266.5km) from Woodland Mills to Rough River Dam State Resort Park. 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. [45] 14 people were killed in the Dawson Springs area, and many others were injured. Near the southwest city limit of Central City, a metal retail building suffered extensive loss and some damage to walls. The tornado moved northeast, uprooting and snapping numerous trees along its path. [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. Still producing violent EF-4 damage, numerous homes and pieces of infrastructure suffered catastrophic damage. 12:01am CST #SPC_Watch WW 2 TORNADO AR KY MO TN 010555Z - 011300Z, #arwx #kywx #mowx #tnwx, https://t.co . Three large churches were destroyed in downtown Mayfield, including the First Presbyterian Church, a large and well-built brick structure that was mostly leveled. [71][72] Workers said they were told by management that "if you leave, youre more than likely to be fired. December 10-11, 2021 Tornadoes - National Weather Service More than half of Kentucky's 120 counties did not have a dedicated OB-GYN in 2020 and 2021. ABC News' Victoria Arancio, Ahmad Hemingway, Matt Foster, Hope Osemwenkhae and Matthew Vann contributed to this report. Complete destruction of homes on Bethlehem Cemetery Road in Bremen. Click to enlarge. Mayfieldwas hit hard. Three other tornadoes were reported in Kentucky overnight, though those storms are believed to have been smaller than the one that hit Mayfield. was granted after FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and DHS Sec. 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. 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. A nearby church had minor structural damage. Dozens Dead, Injured After Historic Tornado Outbreak [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. 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. Kentucky tornadoes: up to 100 feared dead in historic US - The Guardian Structures destroyed: 500 (estimate), Muhlenberg County, KY 2021 Western Kentucky tornado - Wikipedia Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by the storm. [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. FEMA Continues Response to Tornado-Damaged Areas, Kentucky Receives Our Office Click to enlarge. (NWS Storm Survey), Ground level view of the destruction in downtown Mayfield. 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. Tornado path through an open field south of Hodge Road in Hickman County. (Chris Conley), Aerial footage of damage in Dawson Springs. National Weather Service Officials in Kentucky reported 77 fatalities statewide on Friday with just one person still missing after several tornadoes devastated the state a week ago. To be exact, 72 of those counties are without obstetric services. (The only velocities below said average recorded along the storm track, sustained between 75 and 81mph[121130km/h; 6570kn], were observed from 8:44 to 9:01p.m. CST [02:443:01 UTC], as the storm crossed from Obion County, Tennessee into Hickman County, Kentucky). Cars were thrown hundreds of yards and mangled. 2023 www.courier-journal.com. [1] (NOAA/NASA), Before and after satellite imagery of Dawson Springs in Hopkins County. Bowling Green and Mayfield, Ky., sustained damage after tornadoes ripped through five U.S. states overnight, on Dec. 11, 2021. 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. Damage estimates were in the millions according to the owners for just this one farm. Structures damaged: 141 [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). The most severe damage in Caldwell County occurred as the tornado passed just south of Princeton. [7] Initial storms developed across central Arkansas around 2:00p.m. CST (20:00UTC), with even weaker activity developing over central Missouri a little over .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}1+12 hours later; additional clusters of thunderstorms developed over southwestern Missouri (forming between Bolivar and Carthage, eventually back-building into northeastern Oklahoma) and central Arkansas (forming southwest of Hot Springs) between 5:00 and 5:30p.m. CST (23:0023:30UTC). The tornado tracked northeast over mostly open country before causing significant damage to several homes off of Boddie Road and Darnell Road. NWS Paducah plansto document the recovery of cities and towns that were devastatedduring this tornado outbreak. Several outbuildings and mobile homes were also obliterated in the Cayce area. Deaths: 1 What makes Kentucky's devastating tornadoes so rare Track Map (Screenshot taken from interactive map above), Tornado #2 - Long-Track EF-3 across NW TN into W KY. It then intensified again as it approached and crossed the Marshall County line before moving through the northwestern and northern outskirts of Benton, damaging or destroying many homes, garages, and outbuildings, downing numerous trees and power lines, and flipping RV campers. A tale of two loads of Kentucky tornado relief collected, distributed Continuing northeast, the tornado entered Dawson Springs in far eastern Hopkins County at 10:32 p.m. [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. Share on Facebook; . The tornado then crossed into Todd County where mostly tree damage and damage to farm/outbuildings were observed. The tornado began in the community of Woodland Mills in Obion County, Tennessee along Woodland Mills Road at 8:54p.m. CST (02:54 UTC), produced by the same supercell that had previously produced another violent long-tracked tornado that affected northeast Arkansas, the Missouri Bootheel, and northwest Tennessee, near Reelfoot Lake. The storm traveled over 220 miles from Arkansas into Kentucky. Despite a COVID-19 surge in Kentucky, Beshear said hospitals were in good shape. "Dozens" were killed at a candle factory in Mayfield, where 110 people were working when the storm hit Friday night, Beshear said at a 4 a.m. press conference. 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. [51] Thousands of large trees were mowed down, and vehicles were flipped. Continuing northeast, the tornado entered Dawson Springs in far eastern Hopkins County at 10:32 p.m. J. [29][30] The large metal-framed warehouse building completely collapsed, trapping many employees and resulting in eight deaths and numerous injuries. . NOAA Climate Service, LOCAL INFORMATION . The tornado was the deadliest in U.S. history to occur in the month of December. Deaths: 4 The tornado finally weakened and dissipated near the Falls of Rough in Grayson County at 11:55 p.m. Local [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. [63] On December 15, Mayor of Mayfield Kathy Stewart ONan said that recovery efforts would continue. "We will get through this, we will rebuild," Beshear said early Saturday. The first observed damage was in Newbern near Washington Street. [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. From there the tornado progressed over U.S. Highway 68, where power lines were destroyed along with collapsed metal truss towers, before arriving at the Cambridge Shores community on the western shore of Kentucky Lake at 9:57 p.m. One person died here, and the tornado produced EF-4 damage, including several homes with all the walls collapsed, large sections of roofs torn off, and uprooted hardwood trees. The tornado finally weakened and dissipated near the Falls of Rough in Grayson County at 11:55 p.m. Its 165.7 mile long path length was on the longest for a tornado in U.S. history. Tornado Watch Map, Forecast for Tennessee, Kentucky - Newsweek Aviation Weather Sat 11 Dec 2021 18.29 EST First published on Sat 11 Dec 2021 08.28 EST. 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. Even counties that weren't hit by tornadoes were impacted by storms. 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. A few farm outbuildings were also damaged or destroyed in this area. Time lapse of home reconstruction in Mayfield. However, no tornadoes were expected nor reported north of the border.[24]. 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. Kentucky tornadoes: governor says death toll expected to grow as crews sift through ruins. Amazon truck cabs are seen outside a damaged Amazon Distribution Center after it was hit by a tornado, Dec. 11, 2021, in Edwardsville, Ill. Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images The deadliest tornado in Kentucky history was March 27, 1890, when 76 people died, according to the National Weather Service. Structures damaged: 40 Perhaps relevant to the deadly toll in the Kentucky event, tornado frequency is increasing in winter months, . Structures destroyed or uninhabitable:356, Lyon County, KY: [12], Doppler radar analysis estimated that the supercell maintained a nearly continuous high-end rotational vorticity signature, averaging at 94mph (151km/h; 82kn) for approximately four hours and 20 minutes, among a rarity of thunderstorms (averaging 1.5% of all supercells) that produce mesocyclonic vorticity exceeding such speeds. [37] 22 people were killed in and around Mayfield, with hundreds more injured, many severely.[38][39][40][26]. 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. Five others suffered serious injuries. In all, the tornado covered over 165 miles in about three hours, claiming 57 lives and injuring over 500 people. Ohio, Breckenridge, and Grayson County, KY: Click here for an interactive StoryMap about the tornado outbreak that occurred across the region. Items of Interest Structures damaged: 1000 (estimate) Chelsea Emmons holds onto a cat that belongs to her mother, Kim Goforth, Dec. 11, 2021, in Bremen, Ky., while searching Goforth's following a tornado that struck overnight. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the. Still producing violent EF-4 damage, numerous homes and pieces of infrastructure suffered catastrophic damage. The First Christian Church sustained collapse of its domed roof and upper walls, while the First United Methodist Church's sanctuary, which was constructed with very thick masonry exterior walls, collapsed. Serving Madisonville and Hopkins County, KY. A road sign along the Western Kentucky Parkway was blown about a tenth of a mile near the end of the track. Emergency crews respond at a damaged Amazon.com, Inc warehouse after a tornado passed through Edwardsville, Ill., Dec. 10, 2021 in this still image taken from drone video obtained on Dec. 11, 2021.