A nearby church had minor structural damage. On Thursday, the National Weather Service tweeted that the portion of the tornado that traveled through through Western Kentucky was given a preliminary damage rating of EF4. [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. NOAA Climate Service, LOCAL INFORMATION . Still producing violent EF-4 damage, numerous homes and pieces of infrastructure suffered catastrophic damage. Its. 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. Click here for an interactive StoryMap about the tornado outbreak that occurred across the region. NWS 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. Destruction in Cambridge Shores looking east across Kentucky Lake. Kentucky tornadoes: governor says death toll expected to grow as crews sift through ruins. "A good portion of Dawson Springs is gone," the governor said of his father's hometown. (Brett Adair/Live Storms Media), Tornado devastation in Dawson Springs on December 13, 2021. [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. Tornado devastation in Dawson Springs on December 13, 2021. Even counties that weren't hit by tornadoes were impacted by storms. 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 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 Graves County Courthouse in Mayfield was also heavily damaged in Friday night's deadly tornado, according to the statement. Another person remains missing in Lake County, he said. It moved through an abandoned coal strip mine, overturning a large section of a coal conveyor belt, snapping many trees, and downing power poles. [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. . Paducah, KY, FORECASTS At least six people died in the collapse, Illinois Gov. [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. Injuries: 5 The large and well-constructed Graves County Courthouse had much of its roof torn off, its clock tower collapsed, and it had some of its exterior upper-floor walls knocked down. But the weather service initially said damage appeared to be consistent with an F3 tornado capable of producing winds as strong as 206 mph. B. Pritzker said Saturday evening. WFO Paducah Navigator [36] Several restaurants, an indoor soccer facility, a barber shop, automotive business, gym, bank, movie theatre, health and rehab center, and many other businesses were destroyed in downtown Mayfield. After exiting Bremen, the tornado crossed through mainly rural areas of eastern Muhlenberg, Ohio, Breckenridge, and Grayson counties. The concrete foundation was scoured away. [71][72] Workers said they were told by management that "if you leave, youre more than likely to be fired. [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). [3], On December 8, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) delineated a slight risk of severe weather along much of the Mississippi Valley. Over 70 feared dead as 22 reported tornadoes rip through South, Midwest Kentucky likely saw its deadliest tornado system ever, the governor said. Over 3,778 residences, 183 commercial properties, and 103 other buildings were either damaged or totally destroyed, including the county courthouse and the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory. At least four tornadoes tore through western Kentucky. [37] 22 people were killed in and around Mayfield, with hundreds more injured, many severely.[38][39][40][26]. Despite a COVID-19 surge in Kentucky, Beshear said hospitals were in good shape. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also pledged assistance to people affected by the tornadoes. 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. EF2 damage was noted as it tracked into Graves County, closely paralleling I-69 and US 45 directly toward the city of Mayfield. The tornado moved into Hickman County and appeared to intensify dramatically as it crossed US 51, where extreme ground scouring occurred in nearby fields. Drone footage from storm chaser Brandon Clement shows the devastation left by a powerful storm in Mayfield, Kentucky. [1] 200 PHOTOS . Andy Beshear and more than 70 people killed. In Kentucky, it struck Mayfield directly before moving northeast through Benton, Princeton and Beaver Dam before weakening in Breckinridge County. In 2022, Timothy Marshall, . 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. The lawsuit alleges that the factory had up to three and a half hours to let workers leave as safety precautions and did not, and the company showed a "flagrant indifference to the rights of workers" and violated the Kentucky occupational safety and health workplace standards, by refusing evacuations. 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. Kentucky tornadoes: governor says death toll expected to grow as crews sift through ruins. tornado then continued northeast across the far northwest corner of Fort Campbell Army Base continuing to blow down trees before moving into Kentucky. To be exact, 72 of those counties are without obstetric services. 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. Additional high-end EF3 damage occurred and another tornado emergency was issued as it moved through Barnsley, just south of Earlington. Past Barnsley, the tornado passed through an unpopulated swampy area, where more large trees were snapped or uprooted, and damage was rated EF2. Regional radar loop across the Lower Ohio and Mississippi River valleys from 6 PM Dec. 10 to 8 AM Dec. 11. Emergency Management director Michael Hennigan remembers it . The worst of the damage occurred near the Dawson Springs park, where several homes were completely destroyed, including a few low rise apartment buildings. Structures destroyed: 300 (estimate), Hopkins County, KY 2023 www.courier-journal.com. Click to enlarge. "For those that have seen it, what it's done here in Graves County and elsewhere, it is indescribable.". widespread and severe damage in Stewart County was between Indian Branch and Morgan Branch, to the south of Bumpus Mills. Deaths: 1 At least 74 people in Kentucky have died after a weekend tornado outbreak across eight states flattened homes and businesses in the Midwest and South. 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. 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. [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. As of 7:30 p.m. Saturday, more than 437,000 customers were without power across Tennessee, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Arkansas. Asa Hutchinson. Hopkinsville, KY 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. [63] More than 4,500 people attended a tornado relief concert in August 2022. [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. 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. Emmons found the cat hiding in a dresser drawer. Chris Phillips/Maverick Media Group, LLC via Reuters. (Chris Conley), Complete destruction of a home near Bremen. 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. Oak Grove Road. South of Earlington, the tornado derailed a train, moving several rail cars several feet up an embankment next to the railroad tracks. 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. 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. . Questions? 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. 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. In Tennessee, four people died as a result of the storms, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Chief of Staff Alex Pellom said. [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. 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. In all, there were 15 fatalities, 200 injuries, and over 1500 damaged structures in Hopkins County. A neighborhood near the Princeton Golf and Country Club was hit at 10:18 p.m., and several structures experienced EF-4 tornado damage. In Bremen, the tornado claimed the lives of 11 residents of the town of 300 people. The tornado finally weakened and dissipated near the Falls of Rough in Grayson County at 11:55 p.m. destroyed with the occupants injured. ), 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 . 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. Fulton County, KY: Several homes had significant roof damage. CST. In Kentucky, it struck Mayfield directly before moving northeast through Benton, Princeton and Beaver Dam before weakening in Breckinridge County. One tornado potentially was on the ground for 227 miles, Beshear said, devastating towns like Mayfield and Princeton late Friday. More significant damage [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.