Aerial footage of damage in Dawson Springs. As many as 70 people are believed to have been killed in western Kentucky, and the death toll could exceed 100, according to Gov. Structures damaged: Unknown 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. Tornado devastation in Dawson Springs on December 13, 2021. Structures destroyed or uninhabitable:356, Lyon County, KY: "This is a tragic day in Illinois history," the governor said during a press briefing. [26][56] The path was the ninth longest in recorded history. [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. 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. [25], Farther to the northeast, the tornado reached EF2 strength, tearing roofs off homes, damaging or destroying outbuildings, and damaging irrigation equipment. 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. 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. [5], As an intense upper-level trough progressed across the High Plains, with robust instability and moisture return realized across the Mississippi Valley, the SPC expanded the enhanced risk and introduced a moderate risk area from northeastern Arkansas into southern Illinois on the morning of December 10. The first observed damage was in Newbern near Washington Street. J. Four fatalities occurred in Princeton, along with numerous injuries. Deaths: 1 ), 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 . [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. Even counties that weren't hit by tornadoes were impacted by storms. In southern Illinois, in Edwardsville, an Amazon distribution warehouse was hit by a tornado, causing massive damage to the facility, officials said. The most Two other buildings were also heavily damaged along with multiple silos destroyed. University of Kentucky Research and Education Center south of Princeton. The (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). The largest and most devastating of the five tornadoes that ripped into Kentucky overnight Saturday tore through hundreds of miles and multiple states. ", "To lose a loved one in a storm like this is an unimaginable tragedy," Biden said on Twitter. 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: governor says death toll expected to grow as crews sift through ruins. [55] Some weakening occurred, but significant damage continued after the tornado exited Bremen and crossed US 431, where some homes and mobile homes were damaged or destroyed, and hundreds of large trees were snapped and denuded. After leaving Mayfield, the tornado weakened, producing damage at EF2 to EF3 strength and continuing northeast along I-69. The tornado passed just south of the city of Lafayette, Kentucky where it immediately struck a barn and knocked down several electrical transmission lines. After crossing Kentucky Lake, the tornado thrashed across the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, where thousands of trees were ravaged. US Dept of Commerce [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. The tornado entered a flatter area to the west of Hartford and began to intensify once more, and large steel power poles were bent over or broken along Johnson School Road, earning an EF3 rating. It should have shut down':Inside the final frantic hours of the Mayfield candle factory. Trees in this area were debarked and denuded, cars were thrown, and mobile homes were obliterated. As it moved through forested areas, it uprooted thousands of trees. "Heartbreaking devastation and loss of life from tornadoes and severe weather across the Midwest and South," he said on Twitter, adding that DHS and FEMA "stand ready to assist the people of Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee.". Past Briensburg, EF3 damage was noted along Lowery Road, where a poorly-anchored home was leveled, and a few other homes sustained EF2 damage along this segment of the path. [35][26][46] A photograph was lofted from a destroyed house in Dawson Springs and transported almost 130 miles (210km) by the intense tornadic updrafts, eventually being found in New Albany, Indiana. There were reports of two people dead after a tornado moved through northeast Arkansas, according to Gov. Perhaps relevant to the deadly toll in the Kentucky event, tornado frequency is increasing in winter months, . 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. [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. 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. 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. Time lapse of home reconstruction in Mayfield. South of Earlington, the tornado derailed a train, moving several rail cars several feet up an embankment next to the railroad tracks. 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. 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. Hundreds of trees were downed along Cane Ford Road, and an abandoned trailer home was destroyed. 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. "It's a very dire situation at this point," Beshear said. President Joe Biden approved the emergency declaration, which applies to 15 impacted counties, Saturday afternoon. (NWS Storm Survey). Hourly Forecasts 200 PHOTOS . Paducah, KY8250 Kentucky Highway 3520West Paducah, KY 42086-9762270-744-6440Comments? [47] South-southwest of Dawson Springs, a group of storm chasers photographed a possible satellite tornado associated with the parent tornado. Over 70 feared dead as 22 reported tornadoes rip through South, Midwest Kentucky likely saw its deadliest tornado system ever, the governor said. Weakening slightly to high-end EF3 strength but continuing to cause major damage, the tornado tracked to the northeast beyond Dawson Springs, passing north of Ilsley and through the rural community of Carbondale. Interactive Damage Survey Map- Zoom in and click the points to see damage information and pictures. [26][56] The last area of EF3-strength damage occurred along KY 69 and Utley Drive northeast of Hartford, where a poorly-anchored block-foundation home was swept away and completely destroyed, and other houses nearby sustained total loss of their roofs and exterior walls. I bailed eastward about 15 seconds later", "Tornado Emergency For Earlington and Afton, KY", "Kentucky tornado derails a train in Hopkins County; one car lands on home", "Before and after photos from a newly constructed home in Bremen. [71][72] Workers said they were told by management that "if you leave, youre more than likely to be fired. Filmed in August 2022 by Chris Conley/270 Drone Aerial Imagery. [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. 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. Documentary titled "The Deadliest Tornado Outbreak in 10 Years: December 10th, 2021 - A Retrospective" which includes NWS and SPC interviews, Tornado outbreak of December 1011, 2021 Meteorological synopsis, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, List of F4 and EF4 tornadoes (2020present), "Dec 8, 2021 0830 UTC Day 3 Severe Thunderstorm Outlook", "Dec 9, 2021 0700 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook", "Dec 10, 2021 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook", "Deadly path: How tornadoes ripped through states", "December tornadoes aren't rare, but Friday's outbreak was something totally different", "The record-breaking tornadoes that swept the United States, by the numbers", "An overview of the Mesoscale Discussions", "How Friday night's rare and deadly December tornado outbreak unfolded", "Many trapped, two dead as tornado hits nursing home in Arkansas -media", "Environment Canada issues wind warning for most of southern Ontario", "Storm Event Database 2021-12-10 20:54 CST-6", "Some ground scouring along Hwy 51 between Clinton and Fulton, KY", "At least 70 feared dead in Kentucky as tornadoes rip through swaths of U.S.", "Catastrophic tornado damage reported in Mayfield, Kentucky", "Thousands without heat, water after tornadoes kill dozens", "Kentucky tornadoes: 8 confirmed dead at candle factory, 8 still missing", "Factory workers threatened with firing if they left before tornado, employees say", "Deadly tornadoes, storms strike US; roof collapse at Amazon", "Kentucky tornado death toll: 50 people have been confirmed dead after storms by officials", "Severe tornado hits Mayfield, Kentucky, destroying buildings; Police say loss of life 'expected', "Usually, we can call these "hail spikes." occurred to several homes, farm outbuildings, and structures on Palmyra Road. 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. ABC News' Victoria Arancio, Ahmad Hemingway, Matt Foster, Hope Osemwenkhae and Matthew Vann contributed to this report. Despite a COVID-19 surge in Kentucky, Beshear said hospitals were in good shape. [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.