Tornado path through 5 states may be one for history
December tornadoes are uncommon but not unheard of. The explosion of twisters across five Midwest and Southern states over the weekend? That might be unprecedented.
The tornadoes that spun off a fastmoving storm Friday night and into Saturday morning probably killed more than 70 people in Kentucky alone, according to Gov. Andy Beshear, and at least 16 in the four other states.
A combination of the main tornado’s enormous path as it tore from Arkansas to Kentucky, its sheer power and the high number of smaller whirlwinds that accompanied it made for an overwhelming force that left devastated communities in its wake. The small city of Mayfield in the southwest corner of Kentucky suffered at least eight deaths at a candle factory.
“Tornadoes do happen at this time of year, but the number in which they happened and the intensity in which they happened Friday night is what is rare,” said Dan Depodwin, director of forecast operations for Accuweather. “On average, in December, there are roughly two dozen tornadoes (nationwide). We’re going to surpass that just on the one night Friday.”
The exact number – believed to be at least 30 – and the scope of their damage won’t be known for several days as surveyors conduct assessments. “This is the deadliest tornado event we have ever had,” Beshear said.
The Louisville Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported the main tornado’s path extended for about 223 miles, four more than the record of 219 of the so-called tri-state tornado of March 18, 1925, which ripped through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
Depodwin said only one December tornado with a path length of at least 100 miles has been measured since record-keeping began in 1950, and just 17 of 50 miles or longer. Peak season runs from late February to early June.
Preliminary reports indicate the weekend’s mega-twister rated an EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which measures wind speeds and related damage and goes up to 5. The EF-3 rating equates to winds of 158 mph to 206 mph, and the assessment could rise, depending on what surveyors find.
One indication that could happen was the main tornado’s estimated width of at least half a mile and possibly up to a mile, which usually correlates with enhanced power. Of the 1,200 or so tornadoes that hit the U.S. every year, six might be a mile in width.
“Some aspects of this event are potentially historic,” said Harold Brooks, senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Severe Storms Laboratory. “This was a very strong tornado that was on the ground for a really long distance. If it’s 200 miles, it’s in the top few in history.’’
From 2010 to 2019, only four tornadoes stretched for at least 100 miles, and none made it to 150.
Brooks said there has been a rise in winter tornadoes over the past 40 years in the area affected by the weekend twisters but not the country as a whole.
“The exact relationship between tornadoes and climate change is still a bit uncertain,” Depodwin said. “There’s a lot of science going on about that right now.”