Tag Archives: Tornado Outbreak

The Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys under mandatory evacuations as rivers hit peak levels

Train derailed flood

Important Takeaways:

  • As a record rain event comes to an end for the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys, flooding impacts will continue this week amid mandatory evacuations as floodwaters flow into streams and rivers, likely causing more flooding in previously spared areas.
  • The FOX Forecast Center said the storm system that brought six Flash Flood Emergencies and a deadly tornado outbreak across multiple states since last week will finally exit off the East Coast by Tuesday.
  • Over a foot of rain fell in Kentucky, western Tennessee and Arkansas throughout this event. Now, all this water needs to go somewhere.
  • The Kentucky River in Frankfort reached 48.27 feet at 5 a.m. ET Monday morning. This is only 0.2 feet (2.4 inches) below the all-time record crest of 48.47 feet, set on Dec 10, 1978.
  • Meanwhile, more than 50 river locations are currently experiencing or expected to reach major flood stage over the next few days, and another 90 river locations are forecast to reach moderate flood stage.
  • According to the National Weather Service, the Ohio River in Cincinnati and Louisville, Kentucky, is expected to crest at its highest level in seven years.
  • According to the FOX Forecast Center, rainfall water on the Mississippi River is forecast to reach Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in more than two and a half weeks, and water levels could rise to the highest level in four years.
  • “That’s the biggest threat here with communities that live along the river expected to see that water rise,” Minar said. “We can expect to see some concerns for businesses and buildings, just driving along the way as well. You don’t ever want to drive through floodwaters, but this is gonna be a really difficult task.”

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Threat level 5 out of 5 as severe weather moves over more than a dozen states placing 55 million Americans in destructive path

Important Takeaways:

  • A deadly tornado outbreak spawned more than 20 reports of twisters across the lower and mid-Mississippi Valley on Wednesday and Wednesday night.
  • At least two people have died in Tennessee due to the severe weather, the state’s Department of Health confirmed early Thursday. The storms also injured multiple others and destroyed several homes from Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee through Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana.
  • A massive tornado was spotted by FOX Weather Storm Tracker Brandon Copic as it roared near Lake City, Arkansas. Authorities issued a Tornado Emergency – the most dire of tornado alerts – for towns in the path of the storm, such as Leachville and Monette.
  • “You need to be underground,” Copic said. “You will not survive this tornado if you are above ground.”
  • NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center labeled Wednesday’s event as a “Particularly Dangerous Situation,” with the threat level reaching a Level 5 out of 5 “high risk” on its severe thunderstorm risk scale.
  • The high-risk designation marks only the second time this year and the first instance of two such high-risk alerts in a single year since 2021 that a Level 5 threat has been issued. The previous Level 5 alert was issued on March 15 when the National Weather Service confirmed 13 tornadoes, including six powerful EF-3s, which tragically resulted in seven deaths and 12 injuries.
  • More severe weather is forecast through the end of the week and into the weekend, as well.
  • The deadly severe weather system continues to charge east Thursday and is expected to tear across more than a dozen states, from parts of Texas to the densely populated mid-Atlantic and Northeast, placing over 55 million Americans directly in the path of its destructive forces.
  • The numerous rounds of rain and storms will also lead to potentially generational flooding in the Mississippi and Ohio valleys.

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Tornado Outbreak Causes 9 Deaths, Widespread Damage

At least nine people were killed when severe storms led to a tornado outbreak across the United States on Wednesday, reports indicate.

According to The Weather Channel, preliminary estimates indicate that roughly 15 tornadoes swept through the nation on Wednesday.

All of the reported deaths occurred in the southeastern United States, where the damage from the storms was said to be the greatest.

Mississippi television station WREG reported that at least six people were killed in the state, including a 7-year-old boy in the town of Holly Springs. The National Weather Service said one tornado touched down south of Clarksdale and left a trail of damage that stretched some 150 miles northeast to Hardeman County, Tennessee. If the storm was continuous, the National Weather Service said it would be the longest December tornado on record in the mid-South.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said tornado damage was reported in seven counties. The powerful storms injured more than 40 people statewide as they knocked down power lines, shut down multiple highways and damaged homes. The agency said there were also reports of some search-and-rescue operations.

On Thursday morning, the Mississippi governor declared a state of emergency in the affected areas.

WREG reported storms demolished an entire Clarksdale subdivision.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency declared a Level III State of Emergency after storms led to “isolated damage” in 11 counties. The agency said a man and a woman were killed in Perry County, one of the harder-hit areas, but had no further information. Another person died in Rhea County.

An 18-year-old woman was killed earlier Wednesday when heavy winds sent a tree crashing through a home near Atkins, Arkansas, according to the Pope County Sheriff’s Office. The death occurred in the morning, well before the tornado outbreak was at its height.

While the tornadoes and storms were most destructive in the south, there were reports of tornado damage as far north as central Indiana.

Local television station WTHR reported storms blew the roof off an animal hospital in Greenwood. No person or animal was injured.

The outbreak occurred on a day when many Americans were beginning to travel for the holidays. AAA projected a record 100.5 million Americans are expected to travel in the 12-day period that began Wednesday morning, more than 90 percent of them driving.

Chance of Imminent Tornado Outbreak Rises, Meteorologists Warn

Meteorologists warn that “an outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes” could imminently impact the Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi valleys.

The National Weather Service issued a severe weather outlook on Wednesday afternoon, warning that a dangerous storm system capable of producing hurricane-force winds, several tornadoes and sizeable hail was trending across the central United States.

The National Weather Service issued tornado watches for parts of ten states: Louisiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Illinois, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Alabama and Indiana.

Meteorologists said the outbreak is expected to occur this afternoon and last into tonight. The areas most at risk for “long-tracked tornadoes” are western Tennessee, northern Mississippi and eastern Arkansas.

The news comes on one of the busiest travel days of the year. AAA projects a record 100.5 million Americans would be traveling in the 12-day period that began this morning, more than 90 percent of them driving.

The Weather Channel uses its own index, called TOR:CON, to calculate the risk of a tornado occurring at any given time in a specified area. Initially, meteorologists said the areas most at risk only had a 50 percent chance of seeing a tornado, but that rose significantly Wednesday.

Meteorologists now warn northern Mississippi, northern Alabama and western Tennessee have an 80 percent chance of a tornado occurring within 50 miles. The channel said there was also a 70 percent chance of a tornado within 50 miles of eastern Arkansas, and at least a 50 percent chance of a tornado in a widespread region from the Florida panhandle to Kentucky, North Carolina and Missouri.

High winds were already being blamed for at least one death.

Arkansas television station KTHV reported an 18-year-old girl was killed after high winds uprooted a tree and sent it crashing through a home in Pope County.