Some of the worst damage in Bremen occurred along Bethlehem Cemetery Road, where a row of four homes were obliterated, with debris scattered and wind-rowed long distances through fields across the street. 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. The tornado reached Hickman County at 9:06 p.m., where the tornado damaged 40 buildings, with at least 12 buildings completely destroyed. Multiple tornadoes touched down in several midwestern states late Friday evening. Structures damaged: 40 [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. One fatality occurred in Cayce, and several other people were injured. [1] The second significant tornado in an exceedingly long-tracked tornado family, this tornado began just inside northern Obion County, Tennessee, a few miles after another long-tracked EF4 tornado which traveled through northeast Arkansas, the Missouri Bootheel, and northwest Tennessee dissipated in western Obion County. Deaths: 1 (Chris Conley), Aerial footage of damage in Dawson Springs. One person perished near the western shore of Lake Barkley near Eddyville. Crick served McLean and Muhlenberg counties, the court said. (Tomer Burg/Univ. However, no tornadoes were expected nor reported north of the border.[24]. ABC News' Victoria Arancio, Ahmad Hemingway, Matt Foster, Hope Osemwenkhae and Matthew Vann contributed to this report. Across Graves County, 24 people died, and at least 200 people were injured. tornado then continued northeast across the far northwest corner of Fort Campbell Army Base continuing to blow down trees before moving into Kentucky. "This has been the most devastating tornado event in our state's history," Beshear said during a Saturday morning press briefing. Damage estimates were in the millions according to the owners for just this one farm. injured. EF3 damage continued past this point as homes and metal truss towers were destroyed. "It's a very dire situation at this point," Beshear said. Despite a COVID-19 surge in Kentucky, Beshear said hospitals were in good shape. At least 1,000 . First responders at the scene of a nursing home damaged by severe weather in Monette, Arkansas, where several people were trapped inside, Dec. 11, 2021. More were expected early Saturday. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. "This is a tragic day in Illinois history," the governor said during a press briefing. Kentucky Gov . A devastating tornado outbreak has killed dozens of people across multiple states, with Kentucky possibly seeing its deadliest tornado system ever, officials said. Drought [37] 22 people were killed in and around Mayfield, with hundreds more injured, many severely.[38][39][40][26]. [69] In December 2022, a temporary memorial was placed in the Mayfield court square. Regional radar loop across the Lower Ohio and Mississippi River valleys from 6 PM Dec. 10 to 8 AM Dec. 11. was granted after FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and DHS Sec. :EF3, or higherEarly estimates of the strength and size of the main Kentucky tornado. Aerial footage of damage in Dawson Springs. In Bremen, the tornado claimed the lives of 11 residents of the town of 300 people. Chris Phillips/Maverick Media Group, LLC via Reuters. Some outbuildings were also damaged or destroyed in this area. Where did the tornado hit in Kentucky? Forest destruction in the Land Between the Lake NRA. Five others suffered serious injuries. Structures destroyed or uninhabitable:356, Lyon County, KY: Only large piles of bricks and lumber remained in the hardest-hit portions of the downtown area, and streets were left buried under debris. Many homes were destroyed along this portion of the path, including several that were obliterated and completely swept away, with little debris remaining. It should have shut down':Inside the final frantic hours of the Mayfield candle factory. Tornado . 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. The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories: Tornado devastation in Mayfield on December 11, 2021. 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. In Bremen, the tornado claimed the lives of 11 residents of the town of 300 people. EF2 damage was noted as it tracked into Graves County, closely paralleling I-69 and US 45 directly toward the city of Mayfield. At least four tornadoes tore through western Kentucky. A mobile home was completely demolished and significant roofing damage was done to a brick home on Herndon [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. 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. Structures damaged: Unknown Uprooted trees on US 51 north of Sawmill Road in Hickman County. [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). US Dept of Commerce [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. Complete destruction of homes on Bethlehem Cemetery Road in Bremen. 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. Mayfield, with a population of about 10,000, is in Graves County, which borders Tennessee. [74] The following January, the factory closed and Mayfield Consumer Products laid off approximately 250 workers there, shifting operations and the remaining workers to a new plant in the nearby town of Hickory.[75]. Seventy-sixpeople have been confirmed dead, Kentucky Gov. 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. The tornadoes were part of a weather system that also caused. 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. The CBS program 60 Minutes interviewed staff from NWS Paducah and survivors of the tornado to share the power of its devastation with the world. William Widmer for The New York Times. Click here for an interactive StoryMap about the tornado outbreak that occurred across the region. Tornado Watch Issued Friday; 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. [1] Meanwhile, according to FEMA, in Mayfield 257 residential buildings were destroyed and about a thousand more were damaged, in a town with a population of just over 10,000. To be exact, 72 of those counties are without obstetric services. Injuries: 200 to 225 He joined the newspaper in September 2021 after previously working with . User Defined Area Forecast Damaged homes on US 62 west of Dawson Springs in Lyon County. Items of Interest Deaths: 4 The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the. 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. [63] More than 4,500 people attended a tornado relief concert in August 2022. Injuries 11 (including 3 critically) Near the southwest city limit of Central City, a metal retail building suffered extensive loss and some damage to walls. It became strong again north of Centertown, producing EF2 damage as multiple homes and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed, including a well-built house that had much of its roof torn off and sustained collapse of an exterior wall. occurred to several homes, farm outbuildings, and structures on Palmyra Road. 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. Three other tornadoes were reported in Kentucky overnight, though those storms are believed to have been smaller than the one that hit Mayfield. There were reports of two people dead after a tornado moved through northeast Arkansas, according to Gov. By Emily Shapiro, Max Golembo, Daniel Peck, Mark Osborne, and Meredith Deliso December 11, 2021, 4:45 PM 5:15 Chelsea Emmons holds onto a cat that belongs to her mother, Kim Gof.Read More [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. Injuries: 5 Additional high-end EF3 damage occurred and another tornado emergency was issued as it moved through Barnsley, just south of Earlington. (NOAA/NASA), Tornado path across open fields northeast of Highway 116 to Highway 1127 in Fulton County. About. (Chris Conley), Destroyed neighborhood near the city park in Dawson Springs. 2021 Western Kentucky tornado 1 language During the late evening of Friday, December 10, 2021, a violent, long-tracked EF4 tornado moved across Western Kentucky, producing severe to catastrophic damage in numerous towns, including Mayfield, Princeton, Dawson Springs, and Bremen. Continuing northeast, the tornado entered Dawson Springs in far eastern Hopkins County at 10:32 p.m. The report notes that the tornado damage rating might have been higher had more wind resistant structures been encountered. It downed power lines as it crossed KY 79 at EF0 strength, where it damaged a large boat storage facility and scattered debris 300 yards (270m) to the northeast, across the runway of a small airport. In this area, 15 residents of Dawson Springs perished. Structures destroyed: 500 (estimate), Muhlenberg County, KY See photos of the tornado damage across the state. Numerous agricultural buildings and electrical and communication lines were also destroyed. Mayfieldwas hit hard. (NWS Storm Survey). Our Office A tornado near Hornersville, Missouri, was on the ground at about 8 p.m. local time. "We are strong, resilient people, and we will be there every step of the way.". Aerial view of EF4 damage in Mayfield, Kentucky, on December 12, one of several towns impacted by the tornado. The tornado crossed over Kentucky Lake into Lyon County and moved through the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, mowing down a large swath of trees and snapping power poles before crossing Lake Barkley. Paducah, KY, FORECASTS destroyed with the occupants injured. The most severe damage in Caldwell County occurred as the tornado passed just south of Princeton. The tornado received a maximum rating of EF2 in Stewart County, and 4 people were injured. [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. Activity Planner, CLIMATE AND PAST WEATHER The worst of the damage occurred near the Dawson Springs park, where several homes were completely destroyed, including a few low rise apartment buildings. Emmons found the cat hiding in a dresser drawer. . Mon 13 Dec 2021 05.26 EST Last modified on Mon 13 Dec 2021 07.51 EST. Asa Hutchinson. After leaving Mayfield, the tornado weakened, producing damage at EF2 to EF3 strength and continuing northeast along I-69. Its path stretched more than 220 miles, Beshear said at a 5 a.m. press conference covering the devastation. Damage in this area was rated EF2 to low-end EF3.[26]. A CSX freight line train was derailed as the tornado struck Barnsley, and 25 multi-ton freight cars were derailed, several of which were thrown from the tracks, including one that was tossed into a house. All rights reserved. [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. family brick home near Bear Creek where it took off the roof and top story. Aviation Weather The tornado initially caused minor damage to trees and roofs as it moved through the north side of Woodland Mills, crossing SR 5. (NWS Storm Survey), Damage to a medical center on Water Street in Mayfield. [8] Though this activity lacked much vigor at its onset due to a strong capping inversion,[9] the convective cells began to show organization as they progressed eastward. Those numbers "could rise significantly," he said Saturday afternoon. It then continued to travel northeast where it passed Indian Branch and Morgan Branch where it continued to uproot trees and destroyed some farm outbuildings, lifted the roofs off of some single and double wide mobile homes and completely flattened some barns and single wide structures. Injuries: At least 200 (NWS Storm Survey), Tossed vehicles and destroyed buildings in Mayfield. 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. Many trees continued to be denuded and debarked. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The tornado continued northeast causing mostly tree damage before completely destroying four tobacco barns and damaging three equipment garages off of Bradshaw Road. Fulton County, KY: (NWS Storm Survey). 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. 01:39 - Source: CNN Tornado devastation captured by incredible drone. 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. 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. It abruptly intensified to high-end EF4 strength as it crossed and paralleled KY 175 through the north side of town. Andy Beshear and more than 70 people killed. As the tornado approached Interstate 24, mostly tree damage was observed with a few structures impacted as well. Its path length of 165 miles was the ninth longest tornado path ever recorded in the U.S. We also want to thank all the first responders for their ongoing efforts on scene.". Track Map (Screenshot taken from interactive map above), Tornado #2 - Long-Track EF-3 across NW TN into W KY. No deaths or injuries. 200 PHOTOS . 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. (@Kentuckyweather) December 11, 2021. five tornadoes that ripped into Kentucky overnight Saturday, Seventy-sixpeople have been confirmed dead, Inside the final frantic hours of the Mayfield candle factory, How to donate to Kentucky tornado relief funds, blood drives, Here's how the National Weather Service decides a tornado's rating, EF3, or higherEarly estimates of the strength and size of the main Kentucky tornado, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. 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. 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 struck a well constructed single The most severe damage in Caldwell County occurred as the tornado passed just south of Princeton. Continuing northeast, the tornado entered Dawson Springs in far eastern Hopkins County at 10:32 p.m. Devastated forecast at Hillman Ferry in Land Between the Lakes NRA. [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. Several homes had significant roof damage. It moved through an abandoned coal strip mine, overturning a large section of a coal conveyor belt, snapping many trees, and downing power poles. In all, there were 15 fatalities, 200 injuries, and over 1500 damaged structures in Hopkins County. "We don't know where all those people are.". Shortly before 7 p.m. local time, a "large and extremely dangerous tornado" was confirmed near Jonesboro, Arkansas, moving northeast at 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Here are the latest weather forecasts for Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas. Commercial properties: [47] South-southwest of Dawson Springs, a group of storm chasers photographed a possible satellite tornado associated with the parent tornado. (Chris Conley/270 Drones Aerial Imagery). This area endured some of the worst damage of the fierce storm front. Outlooks It's completely possible that the December 10th tornado in WKY contained either a satellite tornado, or underwent a vortex merger in Dawson Springs. [57] It was rated high-end EF4, with an estimated peak wind speed of 190mph (310km/h). [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. Three large churches were destroyed in downtown Mayfield, including the First Presbyterian Church, a large and well-built brick structure that was mostly leveled. After exiting Bremen, the tornado crossed through mainly rural areas of eastern Muhlenberg, Ohio, Breckenridge, and Grayson counties. Emergency Management director Michael Hennigan remembers it . (Chris Conley), Complete destruction of a home near Bremen. 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). [21][15], Multiple PDS tornado warnings and tornado emergencies were also issued as well in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri. Structures destroyed: 21, Hickman County, KY: December 13, 2021: HQ-21-260: Release Date: . 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. Experimental Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook, Evansville Local Standard Radar (low bandwidth), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Before and after satellite imagery of downtown Mayfield. A violent, long-track tornado entered Fulton County in western Kentucky from Obion County in northwest Tennessee shortly before 9:00 p.m. CST. Large metal silos were crumpled and heavily damaged at a granary, and the large Mayfield water tower was toppled and destroyed. Recovery efforts in Princeton,Dawson Springs, and Bremen. The total damage caused by the tornado in Tennessee was estimated at $25,000 (2021 USD). The The tornado that killed dozens and hit Western KY reportedly traveled 223 miles, which would be a new record in length. Several duplexes were destroyed at Clarkdale Court, including one that was leveled with only a pile of debris remaining. PADUCAH McCracken County Judge Executive Craig Clymer has declared a state of emergency the county in light of tornado damage sustained during Friday's severe weather. Rescuers continued to search for survivors Monday after tornadoes tore through Kentucky and neighboring states over the weekend, devastating entire towns and killing dozens of people. Some logistics facilities and warehouses were leveled in an industrial park as the tornado exited town, and several metal self-storage unit buildings and large garages were obliterated nearby. After crossing Lake Barkley on the eastern side of the recreation area, the tornado was now in Lyon County. [42] Dozens of homes were destroyed along the southern and southeastern fringes of town, especially at the Princeton Golf and Country Club subdivision, where several houses were leveled or swept away. SKYWARN 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. 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. At 3:00p.m. CST (21:00UTC), the SPC issued a tornado watch across the highest risk area (encompassing central and eastern Arkansas, west Tennessee, northwestern Mississippi, southeastern Missouri, and southern portions of Illinois and Indiana), the first of eleven issued over subsequent hours over the middle Mississippi Valley. [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. 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. Also, the fast forward speed of the tornado had little dwell time of strong winds over a building and thus, the damage likely would have been more severe if the tornado were slower.[59], The Western Kentucky tornado killed 57 people and resulted in between 508 and 533 injuries (according to figures from the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky). [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. (NWS Storm Survey). The storm traveled over 220 miles from Arkansas into Kentucky. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Observations Evansville, IN A house along KY 339 had its roof torn off, and many trees and power poles were downed in this area. "This will be, I believe, the deadliest tornado system to ever run through Kentucky," he added.