[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. [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. 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. Deaths: 1 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. EF2 damage was noted as it tracked into Graves County, closely paralleling I-69 and US 45 directly toward the city of Mayfield. "[73] On December 17, it was reported that multiple workers at the candle factory filed a lawsuit against Mayfield Consumer Products in state court, seeking compensation and punitive damages. (NWS Storm Survey). (NWS Storm Survey). Aerial view of EF4 damage in Mayfield, Kentucky, on December 12, one of several towns impacted by the tornado. [63] More than 4,500 people attended a tornado relief concert in August 2022. Track Map (Screenshot taken from interactive map above), Tornado #2 - Long-Track EF-3 across NW TN into W KY. Structures damaged: 40 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. . ", During a press briefing Saturday, Biden said this was likely "one of the largest tornado outbreaks in our history. (Chris Conley), Destroyed neighborhood near the city park in Dawson Springs. [60], Damage totals vary by source, but the tornado produced profound destruction in multiple communities. (NWS Storm Survey), Blueridge Road near Lake Barkley in Lyon County. The tornado that killed dozens and hit Western KY reportedly traveled 223 miles, which would be a new record in length. A fire department building had its roof torn off, and large metal boat storage buildings were also destroyed. The total damage caused by the tornado in Tennessee was estimated at $25,000 (2021 USD). 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. Click to enlarge. After crossing Lake Barkley on the eastern side of the recreation area, the tornado was now in Lyon County. In this area, 15 residents of Dawson Springs perished. 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. In Tennessee, four people died as a result of the storms, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Chief of Staff Alex Pellom said. ABC News' Victoria Arancio, Ahmad Hemingway, Matt Foster, Hope Osemwenkhae and Matthew Vann contributed to this report. Click here for an interactive StoryMap about the tornado outbreak that occurred across the region. 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. Asa Hutchinson. [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. Dozens Dead, Injured After Historic Tornado Outbreak A house had roof damage and windows were blown out. "For those that have seen it, what it's done here in Graves County and elsewhere, it is indescribable.". Tornado Watch Issued Friday; Storm and Precipitation Reports Fulton County, KY: 'Quad-State Tornado' crossed four states in four hours, a rare December The most severe damage in Caldwell County occurred as the tornado passed just south of Princeton. It will be a "miracle" if anyone is found alive at this point, he said during a briefing Saturday afternoon. [63][64] Beshear also announced the creation of a tornado relief fund and asked people to donate blood, as donated blood was running low throughout the pandemic. Injuries: 54 The most 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. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the. 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. A music venue housed in an old school building was badly damaged, and the Cayce Volunteer Fire Department building was totally destroyed, with the metal beams of the structure being severely twisted, while pieces of heavy machinery were tossed around. Michael Dossett, director of Kentucky's Division of Emergency Management, compared the storms to the April 1974 outbreak that spawned hundreds of tornadoes across several states and killed more than 30 in Kentucky alone. Eight of the tornado warnings issued during the event by the NWS offices in Memphis, Tennessee, and Paducah, Kentucky were tornado emergency declarations, the most issued during the month of December (breaking the previous record of three issued on December 23, 2015). Past Barnsley, the tornado passed through an unpopulated swampy area, where more large trees were snapped or uprooted, and damage was rated EF2. Entering Breckinridge County at EF1 intensity, it paralleled the BreckinridgeGrayson county line and passed northwest of Falls of Rough. A tale of two loads of Kentucky tornado relief collected, distributed The tornado struck a well constructed single Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by the storm. 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. (NWS Storm Survey), Damage to a forest along Bayou de Chien in Hickman County. EF 3, or higher? The tornado paralleled the OhioGrayson county line, and very briefly crossed a bend in the Rough River into Grayson County. After crossing Lake Barkley, the tornado weakened to EF3 strength but continued to cause major damage as it crossed KY 93 and I-24 near the eastern shore of the lake, where many additional homes sustained major damage or were destroyed, including several that were leveled or swept from their foundations. He joined the newspaper in September 2021 after previously working with . Please Contact Us. tornado then continued northeast across the far northwest corner of Fort Campbell Army Base continuing to blow down trees before moving into Kentucky. Local residents walk past the scene of a train derailment after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several states in Earlington, Ky., on Dec. 11, 2021. 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. [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. President Joe Biden approved the emergency declaration, which applies to 15 impacted counties, Saturday afternoon. It moved through an abandoned coal strip mine, overturning a large section of a coal conveyor belt, snapping many trees, and downing power poles. Hourly Forecasts 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. Regional radar loop across the Lower Ohio and Mississippi River valleys from 6 PM Dec. 10 to 8 AM Dec. 11. To be exact, 72 of those counties are without obstetric services. Kentucky tornado could break historic record for distance | Lexington (NWS Storm Survey). Please select one of the following: At 10:14 p.m., the tornado reached Caldwell County. The tornado then took straight aim for the city of Pembroke where significant tree damage was observed along with multiple houses with roof damage. It abruptly intensified to high-end EF4 strength as it crossed and paralleled KY 175 through the north side of town. 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. Structures damaged: 40 Click here for an interactive radar loop for the entire event. The event developed as a trough progressed eastward across the United States, interacting with an unseasonably moist and unstable . Paducah, KY8250 Kentucky Highway 3520West Paducah, KY 42086-9762270-744-6440Comments? 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. "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. [1] A later 58th fatality was the result of a heart attack while clearing debris and is listed as indirect. But the weather service initially said damage appeared to be consistent with an F3 tornado capable of producing winds as strong as 206 mph. Deadly Tornado Aftermath: At Least 74 Dead in Kentucky Tornadoes; Biden Concrete floor slabs were torn from the foundation of one home and shattered, while the paved driveway of another residence was cracked and scoured. According to reports, the Distribution Center was struck by a tornado Friday night. Kentucky tornadoes: governor says death toll expected to grow as crews sift through ruins. of Oklahoma), Regional radar loop across the Lower Ohio and Lower Mississippi River valleys from 6 PM Dec. 10 to 8 AM Dec. 11. 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. South of Earlington, the tornado derailed a train, moving several rail cars several feet up an embankment next to the railroad tracks. The first observed damage was in Newbern near Washington Street. One fatality occurred in Cayce, and several other people were injured. 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. After exiting Bremen, the tornado crossed through mainly rural areas of eastern Muhlenberg, Ohio, Breckenridge, and Grayson counties. Crick served McLean and Muhlenberg counties, the court said. . Multiple locations were found. Mayfieldwas hit hard. (NWS Storm Survey), Aerial view of the destruction of the Cambridge Shores community on Kentucky Lake (NWS Storm Survey). (NOAA/NASA), Tornado path across open fields northeast of Highway 116 to Highway 1127 in Fulton County. Tornado damaged businesses after multiple tornadoes tore through the area, Dec. 11, 2021, in Mayfield, Ky. A line of severe storms sparked tornadoes overnight in Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois and Arkansas. Bowling Green and Mayfield, Ky., sustained damage after tornadoes ripped through five U.S. states overnight, on Dec. 11, 2021. Paducah, KY, FORECASTS (@Kentuckyweather) December 11, 2021. The death toll in the "most severe tornado event in Kentucky's history" may end up "exceeding 100 before the day is done," Beshear said. Oak Grove Road. 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.