The Associated Press has confirmed the deaths of 22 people in Kentucky from the storms, as search and rescue missions are ongoing. The tornado struck a well constructed single
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. NWS Paducah KY Weekly Partner Briefing Still producing violent EF-4 damage, numerous homes and pieces of infrastructure suffered catastrophic damage. of Oklahoma), Regional radar loop across the Lower Ohio and Lower Mississippi River valleys from 6 PM Dec. 10 to 8 AM Dec. 11. "I think the largest loss of life in this tornado event is and will be there.". Its path length of 165 miles was the ninth longest tornado path ever recorded in the U.S. December 13, 2021: HQ-21-260: Release Date: . Near the southwest city limit of Central City, a metal retail building suffered extensive loss and some damage to walls. According to reports, the Distribution Center was struck by a tornado Friday night. Regional radar loop across the Lower Ohio and Mississippi River valleys from 6 PM Dec. 10 to 8 AM Dec. 11. 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. [71][72] Workers said they were told by management that "if you leave, youre more than likely to be fired. Lucas Aulbach can be reached at laulbach@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4649 or on Twitter @LucasAulbach. 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. In Tennessee, four people died as a result of the storms, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Chief of Staff Alex Pellom said. In all, the tornado covered over 165 miles in about three hours, claiming 57 lives and injuring over 500 people. [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]. (NWS Storm Survey), University of Kentucky Research and Education Center south of Princeton. [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. (NWS Storm Survey). The tornado paralleled the OhioGrayson county line, and very briefly crossed a bend in the Rough River into Grayson County. There were reports of two people dead after a tornado moved through northeast Arkansas, according to Gov. More than 12,300 Louisville Gas & Electric customers were without power as of 8:30 p.m., according to LG&E's power map. Click to enlarge. Large trees sustained severe denuding and debarking, grass was scoured from the ground, and vehicles were thrown through the air and severely mangled. Deaths: 1
family brick home near Bear Creek where it took off the roof and top story. Hundreds of trees were downed in this area, and a couple of structures sustained minor damage. :EF3, or higherEarly estimates of the strength and size of the main Kentucky tornado. It abruptly intensified to high-end EF4 strength as it crossed and paralleled KY 175 through the north side of town. Despite a COVID-19 surge in Kentucky, Beshear said hospitals were in good shape. 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. 12:01am CST #SPC_Watch WW 2 TORNADO AR KY MO TN 010555Z - 011300Z, #arwx #kywx #mowx #tnwx, https://t.co . 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. "This has been the most devastating tornado event in our state's history," Beshear said during a Saturday morning press briefing. 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. 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. (NWS Storm Survey), Aerial view of the destruction of the Cambridge Shores community on Kentucky Lake (NWS Storm Survey). 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). The first observed damage was in Newbern near Washington Street. [1] Crossing through eleven counties of the Jackson Purchase and Western Coal Field regions during its lifespan, the tornado was exceptionally long-tracked, traveling 165.6 miles (266.5km) while at times becoming wrapped in rain. ), 12 dic (EFE).- Pasadas 24 horas desde que un poderoso tornado asol la pequea localidad estadounidense de Mayfield, en Kentucky, el rescate contina en lo que era una . Aerial footage of damage in Dawson Springs. Time lapse of home reconstruction in 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. The largest and most devastating of the five tornadoes that ripped into Kentucky overnight Saturday tore through hundreds of miles and multiple states. 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. 14 Dec 2021. 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. 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.) [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. After crossing Lake Barkley on the eastern side of the recreation area, the tornado was now in Lyon County. To be exact, 72 of those counties are without obstetric services. Three large churches were destroyed in downtown Mayfield, including the First Presbyterian Church, a large and well-built brick structure that was mostly leveled. 1:46 . (Chris Conley), Aerial footage of damage in Dawson Springs. 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. A fourth tornado emergency was in effect for Dawson Springs and St. Charles as the storm moved through the area. FEMA was advising residents from east-central Mississippi to extreme southwestern Virginia to stay vigilant as the storm system moved east. 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. But the weather service initially said damage appeared to be consistent with an F3 tornado capable of producing winds as strong as 206 mph. (Chris Conley), Destroyed neighborhood near the city park in Dawson Springs. 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. AFTER (right): Overview of damage in downtown Mayfield, Ky. on Dec. 11, 2021. . Kentucky likely saw its deadliest tornado system ever, the governor said. NOAA Climate Service, LOCAL INFORMATION Cars were thrown from the parking lot into adjacent fields, metal light poles were ripped from their concrete footings, and ground scouring was noted as well. [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. Where did the tornado hit in Kentucky? "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. The tornado moved northeast, uprooting and snapping numerous trees along its path. [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. Crick served McLean and Muhlenberg counties, the court said. Those numbers "could rise significantly," he said Saturday afternoon. The small community of Cayce in Fulton County was struck directly at 9:01 p.m. 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. Injuries: 5
More were expected early Saturday. [62], In Marshall County, containing the heavily-damaged community of Cambridge Shores, 356 structures were destroyed or 'made uninhabitable', and 341 more sustained light or moderate damage. A state of emergency has been declared by Kentucky Gov. (Tomer Burg/Univ. Click to enlarge. The tornado received a maximum rating of EF2 in Christian County and EF1 in Todd County, and 4 people were
Concrete floor slabs were torn from the foundation of one home and shattered, while the paved driveway of another residence was cracked and scoured. Thetornado initially produced EF-1 damage but while progressing northeast, it continued to strengthen to EF3 as it approached Dresden, TN. A violent, long-track tornado entered Fulton County in western Kentucky from Obion County in northwest Tennessee shortly before 9:00 p.m. CST. 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. Questions? 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 freight train was carrying hazardous materials, Beshear wrote in his letter asking for a federal emergency declaration. The storm spawned one single. "This will be, I believe, the deadliest tornado system to ever run through Kentucky," he added. The most severe damage in Caldwell County occurred as the tornado passed just south of Princeton. [1] A later 58th fatality was the result of a heart attack while clearing debris and is listed as indirect. Hazardous Weather Support 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. Tornado devastation in Dawson Springs on December 13, 2021. At least four tornadoes tore through western Kentucky. More significant damage
EF4 damage continued near the Mayfield Bypass (US 45 Bypass), where Mayfield Consumer Products, a candle factory where approximately 110 employees were working, was flattened. (NWS Storm Survey). [63] More than 4,500 people attended a tornado relief concert in August 2022. Multiple locations were found. 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. Activity Planner, CLIMATE AND PAST WEATHER [44] Numerous vehicles were thrown into piles in the parking lot of the complex. of Oklahoma), Regional radar loop across the Lower Ohio and Mid-Mississippi River valleys from 6 PM Dec. 10 to 8 AM Dec. 11. Share on Facebook; . Officials in Kentucky reported 77 fatalities statewide on Friday with just one person still missing after several tornadoes devastated the state a week ago. Paducah, KY, FORECASTS 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).