MAYFIELD, Ky., Dec 11 (Reuters) - At least 100 people were feared dead in Kentucky after a swarm of tornadoes tore a 200-mile path through the U.S. Midwest and South, demolishing homes,. Devastated forecast at Hillman Ferry in Land Between the Lakes NRA. (NWS Storm Survey), Aerial view of the destruction of the Cambridge Shores community on Kentucky Lake (NWS Storm Survey). There were at least 22 reported tornadoes across six states: Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. 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. Drought The governor declared a state of emergency and submitted a request for a federal emergency declaration. Structures destroyed: 300 (estimate), Hopkins County, KY [70], Accusations that factory management prohibited workers from leaving the candle factory in Mayfield before the tornado struck were reported on December 13. J. Sun 12 Dec 2021 08.32 EST First published on Sun 12 Dec 2021 00.57 EST. An American Legion post and a car wash were flattened, while a church and a medical clinic sustained major damage. First responders surround a damaged Amazon Distribution Center on Dec. 10, 2021, in Edwardsville, Ill. 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. 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. Key events. Cars were thrown, copious amounts of structural debris were strewn in all directions, countless trees were shredded and debarked, and only rubble remained in the hardest-hit neighborhoods. The tornado then lifted just before impacting the city of Elkton where straight-line winds became dominant. (NWS Storm Survey). Bowling Green and Mayfield, Ky., sustained damage after tornadoes ripped through five U.S. states overnight, on Dec. 11, 2021. (NWS Storm Survey). The tornado produced EF-4 damage in Cayce, including the total destruction of buildings and complete collapse of the walls in family homes. [60], Damage totals vary by source, but the tornado produced profound destruction in multiple communities. Our Office Below are some pictures and videos showing the recovery work that happened in 2022. Its path length of 165 miles was the ninth longest tornado path ever recorded in the U.S. [26], Past Midway, the tornado became violent and reached EF4 strength again, producing catastrophic damage as it made a direct hit on the city of Dawson Springs, located along the CaldwellHopkins county line. Experimental Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook, Evansville Local Standard Radar (low bandwidth), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Before and after satellite imagery of downtown Mayfield. Kentucky likely saw its deadliest tornado system ever, the governor said. Chris Phillips/Maverick Media Group, LLC via Reuters. (Chris Conley), Destroyed neighborhood near the city park in Dawson Springs. [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. "A good portion of Dawson Springs is gone," the governor said of his father's hometown. (Tomer Burg/Univ. Kentucky Gov . [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. 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. 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. The Associated Press has confirmed the deaths of 22 people in Kentucky from the storms, as search and rescue missions are ongoing. "This has been the most devastating tornado event in our state's history," Beshear said during a Saturday morning press briefing. A fire department building had its roof torn off, and large metal boat storage buildings were also destroyed. [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). After crossing Lake Barkley on the eastern side of the recreation area, the tornado was now in Lyon County. The tornado was the deadliest in U.S. history to occur in the month of December. Large trees sustained severe denuding and debarking, grass was scoured from the ground, and vehicles were thrown through the air and severely mangled. family brick home near Bear Creek where it took off the roof and top story. It crossed US 231, I-165, and KY 69 near Hartford, along with the Rough River twice. More than 12,300 Louisville Gas & Electric customers were without power as of 8:30 p.m., according to LG&E's power map. See photos of the tornado damage across the state. Emergency Management director Michael Hennigan remembers it . 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. [63] More than 4,500 people attended a tornado relief concert in August 2022. 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. Deaths: 1 It will be a "miracle" if anyone is found alive at this point, he said during a briefing Saturday afternoon. [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. Structures destroyed or uninhabitable: 84. Structures damaged: 341 Deaths: 11 Structures destroyed: 500 (estimate), Muhlenberg County, KY Structures damaged: 1000 (estimate) Injuries: At least 200 In 2022, Timothy Marshall, . US Dept of Commerce Questions? [33] Several other industrial businesses were also damaged or destroyed near the candle factory, while semi-trucks and other industrial vehicles were thrown and destroyed as well, some of which were left unrecognizable. Over 70 feared dead as 22 reported tornadoes rip through South, Midwest Kentucky likely saw its deadliest tornado system ever, the governor said. More than half of Kentucky's 120 counties did not have a dedicated OB-GYN in 2020 and 2021. injured. [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. Homes were significantly damaged, barns and mobile homes were destroyed, a cow was killed, and thousands of large hardwood trees were downed. Many family residence homes experienced. Gov. Single family residences: 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. A 58th fatality was the result of a heart attack while clearing debris and is listed as indirect. Andy Beshear and more than 70 people killed. Emmons found the cat hiding in a dresser drawer. [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. The tornado reached Hickman County at 9:06 p.m., where the tornado damaged 40 buildings, with at least 12 buildings completely destroyed. [29][30] The large metal-framed warehouse building completely collapsed, trapping many employees and resulting in eight deaths and numerous injuries. 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. As it moved through forested areas, it uprooted thousands of trees. One fatality occurred in Cayce, and several other people were injured. Structures damaged: 141 Paducah, KY8250 Kentucky Highway 3520West Paducah, KY 42086-9762270-744-6440Comments? In Tennessee, four people died as a result of the storms, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Chief of Staff Alex Pellom said. About. Click to enlarge. 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. Deaths: 1 (Chris Conley), Aerial footage of damage in Dawson Springs. According to meteorologist Bob Henson: "No U.S. tornado is known to have killed more than 80 people outside the core . Many family residence homes experienced loss of significant roof covering material, collapsed chimneys and garage doors, and walls completely folded with broken windows and shattered glass. The cell began exhibiting surface-based rotation southwest of Searcy, Arkansas around 5:30p.m. CST (23:30UTC). Perhaps relevant to the deadly toll in the Kentucky event, tornado frequency is increasing in winter months, . Many trees continued to be denuded and debarked. Map of storm reports and warning polygons, (red=Tornado Warning, yellow=Severe Tstm Warning), Convoy of Hope in Lyon County (Lyon County EMA), Rebuilding homes in Lyon County (Lyon County EMA), Delivering new appliances to tornado victims in Lyon County (Lyon County EMA). Around 40 people were evacuated, although the facility had major structural damage from the storm and housed dangerous equipment, he said late Saturday morning. Click here for an interactive StoryMap about the tornado outbreak that occurred across the region. Structures destroyed: 21, Hickman County, KY: 165 damaged and 18 destroyed Farm outbuildings and mobile homes were demolished, and multiple houses sustained major damage or were destroyed, some of which of which were flattened. Alejandro Mayorkas visited affected areas of Kentucky Sunday to see tornado destruction firsthand and meet with first responders and emergency management officials conducting operations throughout the state. "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 largest and most devastating of the five tornadoes that ripped into Kentucky overnight Saturday tore through hundreds of miles and multiple states. was granted after FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and DHS Sec. In this area, 15 residents of Dawson Springs perished. Injuries: 5 Continuing into northern Muhlenberg County, yet another tornado emergency was issued for the community of Bremen as the tornado approached from the southwest. A potent storm system moved across the central United States on December 10-11, 2021 resulting in widespread severe weather. Several buildings and homes in downtown Dresden suffered significant damage or were completely destroyed. Click to enlarge. President Joe Biden approved the emergency declaration, which applies to 15 impacted counties, Saturday afternoon. The storm spawned one single. Forecast Discussion Two anchored mobile homes were also swept away and destroyed, with their frames tossed and bent, one of which was thrown 100 yards (91m). (NWS Storm Survey), Blueridge Road near Lake Barkley in Lyon County. The tornado moved into Hickman County and appeared to intensify dramatically as it crossed US 51, where extreme ground scouring occurred in nearby fields. At least 1,000 . 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. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by the storm. Observations December 13, 2021: HQ-21-260: Release Date: . As many as 70 people are believed to have been killed in western Kentucky, and the death toll could exceed 100, according to Gov. A tornado outbreak tore through six states on Friday night: Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. 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. Seventy-sixpeople have been confirmed dead, Kentucky Gov. Damaged vehicles and personal property are strewn over a wide area, Dec. 11, 2021, in Bremen, Ky, after a devastating tornado swept through the area overnight. [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. A nearby church had minor structural damage. 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. Evansville, IN To be exact, 72 of those counties are without obstetric services. Tornado devastation of Mayfield's central business district. The tornado clipped the Fort Donelson National Battlefield area of extreme southeastern Calloway County, Kentucky where it blew down several trees, then crossed the Tennessee River into the Entering Breckinridge County at EF1 intensity, it paralleled the BreckinridgeGrayson county line and passed northwest of Falls of Rough. Since 1917 270-824-3300 Only large piles of bricks and lumber remained in the hardest-hit portions of the downtown area, and streets were left buried under debris. [63] On December 15, Mayor of Mayfield Kathy Stewart ONan said that recovery efforts would continue. In addition to Edwardsville, two EF-3 tornadoes were confirmed in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and near Defiance, Missouri, according to the National Weather Service. The tornado that killed dozens and hit Western KY reportedly traveled 223 miles, which would be a new record in length. A tornado near Hornersville, Missouri, was on the ground at about 8 p.m. local time. 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. A tale of two loads of Kentucky tornado relief collected, distributed, with owner-op Daniel Koors (Podcast Episode 2021) Movies, TV, Celebs, and more.