Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021

The damages left by the tornado in Tennessee

A severe weather and tornado outbreak happened between December 10 and 11, 2021. In the outbreak, there were 71 tornadoes involved, along with severe thunderstorms traveled across the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee.

Across Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Illinois, the tornado sequence carved a path of 166 miles. It was the longest tornado since 1925 Tri-State tornado.^[1] The starting report on several tornadoes is that they were EF4.

89 people were confirmed killed by the outbreak. The Governor of Kentucky (at that time) stated that beyond seventy people might have been killed in the state alone.^[2]

Tornado Outbreak Of December 10–11, 2021 Media

Radar collage of a supercell that spawned a tornado family during the outbreak
Search and rescue teams combing through the wreckage of the candle factory in Mayfield on December 13.
EF3 damage to businesses in downtown Dresden, Tennessee.
High-end EF3 damage to homes in the Creekwood subdivision in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Numerous fatalities occurred in this area.
A liquor store that was destroyed in the western part of Bowling Green, Kentucky.
A satellite view of the extratropical cyclone that was responsible for the tornado outbreak on December 11.