Date(s) | May 8, 2009 |
---|---|
Duration | 15 hours, 28 minutes (tornado outbreak) |
Tornado count | 39 confirmed [1] [2] [3] |
Strongest tornado1 | EF3 tornado |
Fatalities | Four direct, two indirect [4] [5] [6] [7] |
Damage costs | ~$500 million [8] |
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale |
The May 2009 Southern Midwest Derecho was an extreme progressive derecho and mesoscale convective vortex (MCV) event that struck southeastern Kansas, southern Missouri, and southwestern Illinois on May 8, 2009. [9] [10] Thirty-nine tornadoes, including two of EF3 strength on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, were reported in addition to high non-tornadic winds associated with the derecho and MCV. [10] Due to the abnormal shape of the storm on radar and the extremely strong winds, many called this an "inland hurricane." [11] [12] A new class of storm, the Super Derecho, has been used to describe this event after analysis in 2010. [13] Embedded supercells produced hail up to baseball size in southern Missouri, a rare event in a derecho. [2] A wind gust of 106 mph (171 km/h) was recorded by a backup anemometer at the Southern Illinois Airport after official National Weather Service equipment failed. [1] This derecho was the last of a series of derechos that occurred at the beginning of May.
A complex of thunderstorms formed over northwestern Kansas overnight May 7 and into the early morning hours of May 8, before moving into south-central Kansas, where greater moisture and stronger upper-level winds were present. [14] The cluster of storms began to evolve into a more organized derecho near Hutchinson, Kansas, where National Weather Service damage surveys found winds greater than 100 mph (160 km/h) started, then continued through southern Missouri. [3] [14]
While in southwestern Missouri, the derecho began to change; supercells began to embed within the line, and a wake low began to form in conjunction with a bookend vortex on the northern end of the derecho. [1] [3] As the derecho entered southeastern Missouri, the initial line associated began to weaken, but the MCV became increasingly pronounced on the northern end. [2]
Many experts and NWS meteorologists considered this to be one of the worst derechos and MCVs in the past decade. [1] [15] The Storm Prediction Center issued two "particularly dangerous situation" severe thunderstorm watches [16] [17] and a vividly worded tornado watch, mentioning the possibility of winds in excess of 105 mph (169 km/h). [18] Local National Weather Service offices in Springfield, Missouri, and Paducah, Kentucky, also issued strongly worded severe thunderstorm warnings, with precautionary statements similar to those used in tornado warnings. [19] [20]
As both the initial squall line and MCV weakened, very little severe weather was reported between southern Illinois and central Kentucky. [21] However, as the weakening squall line encountered higher instability and more favorable upper-level winds, the line split into several supercells in a process still not fully understood; [22] these storms produced several tornadoes in central Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, southwestern Virginia, and northwestern North Carolina. [23] [24] While no longer producing severe weather itself, the MCV continued to enhance thunderstorms early the next morning across southeastern Virginia. [25]
Despite it at first seeming extremely rare, further research has found that similar storms have occurred previously. [1] One case, which occurred in North Carolina on April 15, 1999, produced a killer tornado and a 165 mph (266 km/h) wind gust, although this may have been associated with a tornado. [26] [27] Another heavily studied event in northern Pennsylvania on July 21, 2003, also resulted in several tornadoes. [28] However, these events lasted for a much shorter period of time and were significantly smaller; numerical modeling has shown that an average bookend vortex is only 12 nmi (22 km) across, while the May 2009 storm reached up to 40 nmi (74 km) in diameter. [1]
EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | 9 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
List of reported tornadoes - Friday, May 8, 2009 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EF# | Location | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Summary |
Missouri | ||||||
EF1 | E of Pilgrim | Dade | 37°22′N93°45′W / 37.367°N 93.750°W | 1253 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Brief tornado damaged several trees and outbuildings along an intermittent path. [29] |
EF1 | Republic area | Greene | 37°06′N93°30′W / 37.100°N 93.500°W | 1305 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Short-lived tornado tracked through downtown Republic, damaging about 50 structures. Losses from the storm reached $1 million. [30] |
EF1 | NW of Springfield-Branson National Airport | Greene | 37°15′N93°23′W / 37.250°N 93.383°W | 1314 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | A brief tornado touched down near Springfield Airport, destroying a few outbuildings and heavily damaging a home. Losses from the storm reached $200,000. [31] |
EF1 | NW of Brighton | Polk | 37°28′N93°22′W / 37.467°N 93.367°W | 1316 | 9 miles (14 km) | An EF1 tornado damaged or destroyed several barns and outbuildings and caused moderate to severe damage to frame homes. Losses from the storm reached $2 million. [32] |
EF0 | Ebenezer area | Greene | 37°19′N93°19′W / 37.317°N 93.317°W | 1321 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Several trees and outbuildings were damaged. [33] |
EF1 | SE of Swan to SW of Merritt | Taney, Christian, Douglas | 36°46′N93°01′W / 36.767°N 93.017°W | 1325 | 12 miles (19 km) | A 0.5 mi (0.80 km) wide, relatively long-tracked tornado tracked for 12 miles (19 km) through three counties. The most severe damage took place in Christian County, where two homes were damaged, and several outbuildings were destroyed. Losses from the tornado reached $2.6 million. [34] [35] [36] |
EF1 | E of Fordland | Webster | 37°09′N92°55′W / 37.150°N 92.917°W | 1338 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | A dairy farm lost its roof, a truck was lofted over a fence, and an outbuilding was destroyed. [37] |
EF2 | W of Goodhope | Douglas | 36°54′N92°49′W / 36.900°N 92.817°W | 1339 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | A short-lived tornado tore the roof off a home and damaged numerous trees. [38] |
EF2 | N of Merritt | Douglas | 36°55′N92°52′W / 36.917°N 92.867°W | 1339 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | A short-lived but very large 0.75 mi (1.21 km) tornado damaged two homes and several outbuildings. Losses from the storm reached $200,000. [39] |
EF2 | ESE of March | Dallas | 37°31′N93°03′W / 37.517°N 93.050°W | 1341 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | A 400 yd (0.37 km) wide tornado made several touchdowns along a 4 mi (6.4 km) path. Peaking at EF2 intensity with estimated winds of 130 mph (210 km/h), the tornado destroyed three framed houses and numerous outbuildings. Two people were injured and had to be transported to a local hospital; one died of a heart attack en route. [40] |
EF1 | N of Ava | Douglas | 37°00′N92°40′W / 37.00°N 92.67°W | 1400 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | A barn was destroyed, and a few homes suffered minor damage. |
EF1 | NW of Hartville | Wright | 37°18′N92°33′W / 37.30°N 92.55°W | 1402 | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) | Several outbuildings were destroyed, and numerous trees were uprooted. |
EF1 | SW of Wasola | Ozark | 36°46′N92°37′W / 36.76°N 92.61°W | 1411 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Seven outbuildings were destroyed, and three homes were damaged; intense tree damage was also noted. |
EF0 | ESE of Mountain Grove | Texas | 37°07′N92°11′W / 37.12°N 92.19°W | 1422 | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) | Several buildings were damaged and numerous trees were uprooted. |
EF1 | WNW of Peace Valley | Howell | 36°53′N91°47′W / 36.89°N 91.79°W | 1435 | 9 miles (14 km) | A few homes and numerous trees were damaged. |
EF2 | W of Mountain View to SE of Summersville | Howell, Texas, Shannon | 37°00′N91°51′W / 37.00°N 91.85°W | 1435 | 21 miles (34 km) | A farmhouse was lifted and moved, injuring two people. Two auto shops and several homes and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. |
EF2 | SE of Lebanon | Laclede | 37°37′N92°35′W / 37.62°N 92.59°W | 1440 | 2.2 miles (3.5 km) | Four homes and several outbuildings were damaged. |
EF1 | ESE of Hazelton | Texas | 37°30′N91°57′W / 37.50°N 91.95°W | 1444 | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) | One barn was destroyed, and one mobile home lost its roof. |
EF2 | SW of Alley Spring | Shannon | 1445 | 12 miles (19 km) | Several buildings and a cabin at a sawmill were destroyed. Trees suffered extensive damage. | |
EF3 | NW of Pomona | Howell | 36°53′N91°56′W / 36.88°N 91.93°W | 1500 | 2.2 miles (3.5 km) | One house, one mobile home, one travel trailer, two outbuildings, and an auto shop were destroyed. Cars were tossed 40 to 50 yards (37 to 46 m) away, and two school buses were blown over. |
EF0 | McBride area | Perry | 1620 | 2.2 miles (3.5 km) | Damage limited to trees; the tornado was caught on tape. | |
EF1 | SE of Fredericktown | Madison | unknown | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) | ||
EF1 | N of Ellington | Reynolds | unknown | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Two homes had roof damage; trees suffered significant damage. | |
Illinois | ||||||
EF1 | WSW of Du Quoin | Jackson | 37°57′N89°24′W / 37.95°N 89.40°W | 1630 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Structural damage to two barns, shingle damage to homes, power poles blown over, and dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted. |
EF1 | N of Thompsonville to NE of Crab Orchard | Franklin, Williamson | 1945 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | Trees were damaged in a rural area. | |
EF0 | N of Royalton | Franklin | unknown | unknown | A brief tornado touchdown was photographed. | |
Kentucky | ||||||
EF1 | E of Hiseville | Barren, Metcalfe | 37°07′N85°48′W / 37.11°N 85.80°W | 1904 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Three outbuildings were destroyed, and one home and a pole barn were damaged. |
EF3 | S of Richmond | Garrard, Madison, Estill | 37°41′N84°22′W / 37.68°N 84.37°W | 2055 | at least 22 miles (35 km) | 2 deaths – Homes suffered severe damage. Several cars were flipped over. Five people were injured. |
EF0 | NW of Irvine | Estill | 2123 | less than 0.25 miles (0.40 km) | Two structures had metal roofing torn off. Several trees were knocked down, including one that damaged the porch of a home. | |
Tennessee | ||||||
EF2 | SE of Huntsville | Scott | 2254 | 4.5 miles (7.2 km) | Seven homes were damaged, and a freestanding cellphone tower collapsed. | |
EF2 | SW of Tazewell | Claiborne | unknown | 2.2 miles (3.5 km) | Two large barns were destroyed, and one home lost its roof. | |
EF1 | NE of Thorn Hill | Grainger, Hancock | 36°24′N83°20′W / 36.40°N 83.34°W | 2336 | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) | Barns and outbuildings were damaged heavily, and several homes suffered roof damage. |
EF0 | S of Gray | Washington | 36°24′N82°29′W / 36.40°N 82.48°W | 0045 | unknown | Tornado touchdown was reported by law enforcement, but no damage reported. |
EF0 | NW of Etowah | McMinn | unknown | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | A tornado briefly touched down, causing damage to several trees. | |
Virginia | ||||||
EF0 | N of Clintwood | Dickenson | 37°11′N82°28′W / 37.183°N 82.467°W | 0100 | 0.75 miles (1.21 km) | Numerous trees were uprooted, one of which fell on a mobile home. Two homes suffered minor roof damage. [41] |
EF2 | SE of Pound | Wise | 37°04′N82°33′W / 37.067°N 82.550°W | 0145 | 1.7 miles (2.7 km) | Two trailers and several outbuildings were destroyed, and a third trailer was damaged. [42] |
EF0 | NW of Lebanon | Russell | 36°54′N82°05′W / 36.900°N 82.083°W | 0225 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | A tornado briefly touched down without any known impact. [43] |
EF2 | NE of Lebanon | Russell | 36°56′N81°57′W / 36.933°N 81.950°W | 0230 | 1.1 miles (1.8 km) | One barn was destroyed, one home had moderate damage, and 100 trees were snapped or uprooted. [44] |
North Carolina | ||||||
EF2 | NW of Ennice | Alleghany | 36°33′N81°01′W / 36.550°N 81.017°W | 0344 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | A mobile home was destroyed, injuring four people. Five homes and several outbuildings were damaged, and cement silos were toppled, causing two additional injuries. Damages from the tornado amounted to $200,000. [45] |
EF1 | SW of Ennice | Alleghany | 36°33′N81°00′W / 36.550°N 81.000°W | 0346 | 0.25 miles (0.40 km) | Three outbuildings were destroyed, and one home and a pole barn were damaged. [46] |
Sources: National Weather Service Springfield, MO, National Weather Service St. Louis, MO, National Weather Service Paducah, KY, National Weather Service Louisville, KY, National Weather Service Jackson, KY, National Weather Service Morristown, TN |
The initial squall line formed in central Kansas, to the northwest of Hutchinson. [14] In Hutchinson, several airplanes were flipped at a local airport, and 21,000 people were left without power. A woman was killed in New Albany, Kansas, when her mobile home was blown forty feet off of its foundation. [7] National Weather Service survey teams found that winds reached 120 mph (190 km/h) in the area, which also resulted in the destruction of a church and the town's post office, in addition to damaging several homes. [7] [14] A total of 130 buildings were damaged in Cherokee, Kansas, including a high school gymnasium. Schools in several counties closed for the day, and a twenty-mile stretch of the Kansas Turnpike was closed for an hour due to flooding. [7]
The derecho continued to intensify as it reached southwestern Missouri, where the storm forced several television stations in Joplin, Missouri, off the air after their transmission towers were downed; one station's tower landed on its studios. [47] Numerous schools were damaged throughout the Springfield, Missouri, area, including a roof collapse at the Fair Grove High School, resulting in three injuries to students. There were numerous reports of tree and roof damage throughout Springfield, prompting some business to close. Drury University canceled some morning classes. [47] A total of 346 buildings suffered some damage in Greene County, Missouri, and four people were injured, but none required hospitalization. [48] A high school in Fair Grove suffered damage. [49]
As the initial line weakened, the mesoscale convective vortex on the northern end began to strengthen and separate from the squall line. [1] A long-lived supercell formed within the MCV in Madison County, Missouri, producing hail up to baseball size and a few tornadoes, in addition to the more widespread, damaging, straight-line winds throughout the area. [2]
Numerous trees were knocked over from Shannon County, Missouri—near the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways preserve—northward through the Mark Twain National Forest and other forested public conservation lands. Devastation was especially pronounced in the area west of Ironton, Missouri, around the popular Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park and the Bell Mountain Wilderness area. Over 50 miles of the long-distance Ozark Trail were damaged, requiring many months of repairs to rehabilitate.
As the MCV crossed the Mississippi River and entered into more populated areas, it strengthened greatly, while it nearly separated from the initial line. [1] [2] Numerous buildings were severely damaged or destroyed throughout southern Illinois. Immediately after the MCV struck, Carbondale was reported to be virtually impassable due to the amount of debris on roadways. Marion, Murphysboro, Grand Tower, Johnston City, Herrin, Energy, and Carterville, Illinois, declared curfews and states of emergency due to power outages and the massive amounts of damage caused by the storms. Some of these cities were even left without water due to the power outages. [1] [50] [51] In the city of Carbondale, damage was estimated at US$3,000,000, excluding damage at Southern Illinois University. Officials deemed 34 buildings a "total loss" and reported that 3,000 trees were felled throughout the city. [52]
Preliminary estimates placed damages at Southern Illinois University in excess of US$5,000,000. Numerous buildings on campus sustained roof damage, and nearly 100 windows were blown out of residence halls. Due to infrastructure damage from the storm, most communication by land line and mobile phone was reported to be impossible. [52] In Carterville, Illinois, officials found 17 buildings to be a total loss. The city's public works garage was shifted off its foundation, and the police station sustained damage. [52] In Franklin County, Illinois, 13 buildings were deemed to be beyond repair; damage assessments found that 184 buildings received some kind of damage from the storm. Winds were estimated between 80 and 90 mph (130 and 140 km/h) in the county. [52] At one point, 68,000 people were left without power in southern Illinois alone, prompting unusual methods to restore power, such as using helicopters to clear debris and position power poles. [53]
As the squall line continued east, it began to break apart into separate supercells; several of these supercells produced tornadoes. [23] [54] An EF3 tornado touched down in eastern Garrard County before tracking into southern Madison County, Kentucky; two people were killed in this tornado, five others were injured, and 150 homes were damaged. All of the injuries and deaths occurred in one mobile home near the intersection of KY 1295 and KY 52 in southern Madison County. [6] [23] Most of the damaged homes were in a subdivision in the Waco area, just north of the Blue Grass Army Depot. One mobile phone bill from a damaged house was carried 35 miles (56 km) before coming to rest on the property of a National Weather Service employee. [23]
The squall line and associated convection resulted in significant flooding south of St. Louis, Missouri and in eastern Kentucky. [2] [55]
Prior to becoming a mesocyclone, the system produced upwards of 4 in (100 mm) of rain over parts of Kansas during the morning hours. [56] In Rice County, high waters washed out several small bridges and low water crossings and damaged concrete structures, leaving roughly $340,000 in losses. [57] In some places, rainfall reached 4 in (100 mm) within a 30-minute span, leading to widespread street flooding. Up to ten drivers required rescue after their cars stalled in the flood waters. [58] Flowing water over the Kansas Turnpike forced officials to shut down a 20 mi (32 km) stretch of the highway for over an hour. [59] One person needed to be rescued in Lyon County after driving into a flooded street. Barricades were set up in some areas of the county due to rising waters. [60] In Reno County, four bridges sustained severe flood damage and another was destroyed. Damages to the bridges amounted to $500,000. [61] In some places, schools canceled classes due to the heavy rainfall. [62]
In parts of Missouri, up to 4 in (100 mm) of rain fell in a short period of time, triggering flash flooding. Along Missouri Route 89, flood waters reached a depth of some 2 feet (60 cm.). [63] Numerous side roads throughout several counties were closed due to flooding. [64] In Washington County, the Big River overflowed its banks and inundated a nearby highway. [65] More significant flooding took place in St. Francois County, where some homes had up to 8 ft (2.4 m) of water in their basements and railroads were partially washed out. [66] A water rescue took place near the town of Bloomsdale. [67] Some of the most severe flooding took place in the town of Doniphan, in Ripley County, where 5.03 in (128 mm) of rain fell in a 24-hour span. Ten people needed to be evacuated from their homes due to rising waters. The county courthouse and local high school sustained major water damage. At the school, all of the classrooms were flooded by up to 18 in (460 mm) of water, and a nearby parking lot buckled under the water. Several other structures in the area were also inundated during the storm, and two people needed to be rescued from their vehicle, which was stalled in waist-deep water. [68] In Laclede County, severe flooding washed out low-lying roads and drainage culverts. [69]
On July 2, 2009, President Barack Obama declared a major disaster in Franklin, Gallatin, Jackson, Randolph, Saline, and Williamson counties in Illinois; Dolph A. Diemont was named as the Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinating officer for the area. FEMA also stated that further disaster declarations were possible as requested by the state. [70] Missouri Governor Jay Nixon requested federal assistance for 46 counties in Missouri; damage in those counties was estimated to exceed US$48,700,000. [71] On November 30, 2009, Senator Claire McCaskill announced that the State Emergency Management Agency of Missouri would receive $1,228,208.25 in federal grant money to cover the state's costs in "administering and managing" FEMA Public Assistance grants. In addition, it was announced that the Citizens Electric Corporation would receive a $1,395,201.46 grant to offset costs incurred in repairing infrastructure in Perry, Sainte Genevieve, and Cape Girardeau counties. [72]
The Tornado outbreak sequence of March 9–13, 2006 was an early season and long lasting tornado outbreak sequence in the central United States that started on the morning of March 9 and continued for over four days until the evening of March 13. The outbreak produced 99 confirmed tornadoes, which killed a total of 10 people. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued multiple elevated outlook throughout the sequence, including a rare high risk for March 12, which would end up being the most intense day of the outbreak, producing 62 in total. 11 F3 tornadoes were tallied, and a violent F4 tornado touched down in Monroe County, Missouri, becoming the strongest of the outbreak. Multiple tornado emergencies were issued for tornadoes throughout the outbreak as well. An intense F3 tornado that affected the towns of Renick and Maddison in Missouri killed 4 people and injured dozens others, becoming the deadliest of the sequence. Multiple of the tornadoes were long-tracked in nature, with 6 of them having paths exceeding 30 miles (48 km). One particular supercell thunderstorm during the outbreak persisted for many hours and progressed in excess of 800 miles (1,300 km) through Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and extreme southern Michigan.
An unseasonably strong tornado outbreak began on January 7, 2008, and continued for nearly four days across the Central and Southern United States, with the hardest hit area being southwestern Missouri, northwestern Arkansas, and the surrounding area. In addition, a strong supercell in northern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin produced that region's first January tornadoes since 1967.
A destructive and deadly tornado outbreak that took place across the Southern and Central United States from May 1 to May 3, 2008. The outbreak was responsible for at least seven fatalities and 23 injuries in Arkansas. There were at least 29 tornado reports from Iowa to Oklahoma on May 1 and 67 more in Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana and Texas on May 2. A total of 60 tornadoes were confirmed by weather authorities.
On February 10–11, 2009, a broad-scale damaging wind event and small tornado outbreak affected the Central and Eastern United States. During the two-day period, 14 tornadoes touched down in seven states. Oklahoma was struck by six tornadoes, the most of any state. The six tornadoes in Oklahoma also tied the record for the most tornadoes ever recorded in the state during the month of February, which would later be broken in 2023. The first day of the outbreak produced the most tornadoes; the second brought mainly high wind damage and rain or snow in most of the Northeast.
The March 2009 tornado outbreak sequence was a series of tornado outbreaks which affected large portions of the Central, Southern, and Eastern United States from March 23 to March 29. A total of 56 tornadoes touched down during the event, two of which were rated as EF3.
The May 2009 derecho series was an unusually strong sequence of derecho events and tornadoes beginning on May 2, 2009, and continuing through May 8, which primarily affected the Southern United States. At least seven people were killed by the storms. An associated tornado outbreak also resulted in nearly 100 tornadoes, some strong, with most strong tornadoes, most damage, and all of the deaths on May 8. In total, nine people were killed, dozens were injured and at least $70 million in damage occurred, $58 million on May 8.
A destructive multi-day tornado outbreak across a large portion of the Southern United States that occurred at the end of April and the beginning of May 2010. Five people were killed from the tornadoes – one in Arkansas, one in Tennessee, and three in Mississippi. The tornado event was overshadowed by the 2010 Tennessee floods, which occurred at the same time.
The June 2010 Northern Plains tornado outbreak was one of the most prolific summer tornado outbreaks in the Northern Great Plains of the United States on record. The outbreak began on June 16, with several tornadoes in South Dakota and Montana. The most intense storms took place the following day across much of eastern North Dakota and much of Minnesota. The system produced 93 tornadoes reported across four states while killing three people in Minnesota. Four of the tornadoes were rated as EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, the most violent tornadoes in a 24-hour period since there were five within 15 hours in the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak. This was the region's first major tornado outbreak of the year and one of the largest on record in the region, comparable to a similar outbreak in June 1992. The 48 tornadoes that touched down in Minnesota on June 17 marked the most active single day in the state's history. June 17 was the second largest tornado day on record in the meteorological summer, behind the most prolific day of the 2003 South Dakota tornado outbreak on June 24, 2003.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 2011. Extremely destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, Argentina and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also appear regularly in neighboring southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer season, and somewhat regularly in Europe, Asia, and Australia.
The 2010 New Year's Eve tornado outbreak was a three-day-long tornado outbreak that impacted the central and lower Mississippi Valley from December 30, 2010 to January 1, 2011. Associated with a low pressure system and a strong cold front, 37 tornadoes tracked across five states over the length of the severe event, killing nine and injuring several others. Activity was centered in the states of Missouri and later Mississippi on December 31. Seven tornadoes were rated EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale; these were the strongest during the outbreak. Non-tornadic winds were recorded to have reached as high as 80 mph (130 km/h) at eight locations on December 31, while hail as large as 2.75 in (7.0 cm) was documented north-northeast of Mansfield, Missouri. Overall, damage from the outbreak totaled US$123.3 million, most of which was related to tornadoes. This is the most prolific tornado outbreak in Missouri in the month of December.
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This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2015. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, Brazil and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms of severe weather including strong thunderstorms, winds and hail. There were 1,178 tornadoes reported in the United States in 2015 according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), of which at least 1,178 have been confirmed. Worldwide, 109 fatalities have been reported: 45 in Pakistan, 36 in the United States, 14 in Mexico, seven in China, three in Myanmar, two in Brazil and one each in Italy and Russia.
The tornado outbreak sequence of May 5–10, 2015 was a six-day outbreak of tornado activity that affected the Great Plains of the United States in early May 2015. On May 6, strong tornadoes impacted the Oklahoma City area, along with rural parts of Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The outbreak coincided with major flooding, with large amounts of rain falling in parts of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The National Weather Service forecast office in Norman, Oklahoma issued a "flash flood emergency" for Oklahoma City following record-breaking rainfall that occurred in the area that evening. The outbreak sequence resulted in five tornado-related deaths, along with two flood-related deaths. A total of 127 tornadoes were confirmed and rated as a result of this outbreak sequence. Damage from the outbreak was estimated at $1.5 billion.
Preceded by more than a week of heavy rain, a slow-moving storm system dropped tremendous precipitation across much of Texas and Oklahoma during the nights of May 24–26, 2015, triggering record-breaking floods. Additionally, many areas reported tornado activity and lightning. Particularly hard hit were areas along the Blanco River in Hays County, Texas, where entire blocks of homes were leveled. On the morning of May 26, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for southwest Harris County and northeast Fort Bend County. The system also produced deadly tornadoes in parts of Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. This flood significantly contributed to the wettest month ever for Texas and Oklahoma.
On December 23, 2015, an outbreak of supercell thunderstorms produced tornadoes across northern Mississippi and middle Tennessee, resulting in 13 tornado-related deaths and numerous injuries. Other tornadoes occurred as far north as Indiana and Michigan. Scattered tornado activity continued over the next two days before the outbreak ended. This was the first of two deadly tornado outbreaks to impact the southern United States during December 2015 with the other occurring just a day after this one ended.
The December 2015 North American storm complex, also known as Winter Storm Goliath, was a major storm complex that produced a tornado outbreak, a winter storm, a blizzard and an ice storm in areas ranging from the Southwestern United States to New England. Tornadoes struck the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas while several other states, especially Missouri, were affected by heavy rain and snow causing severe floods. As the system moved through the Great Lakes, heavy rain, ice pellets and heavy snow fell in the entire region. Wintry mix moved through southern Ontario and Quebec had significant snowfall on December 29. Almost 60 people were killed during the storm system's progression and aftermath, making it one of the deadliest such systems of 2015 in the United States.
The tornado outbreak of April 8–9, 2015 was a relatively small but damaging outbreak of tornadoes that occurred in parts of the Great Plains and in the Midwestern United States. 27 tornadoes were confirmed during the two days, most of them weak, however a select few of them were powerful and damaging.
A significant tornado outbreak, along with a derecho, affected much of the Midwestern and Southeastern United States from April 1 to 3, 2024. The National Weather Service issued dozens of severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings across those regions during the event. The outbreak first began over portions of the Great Plains and Midwest on April 1, with widespread large hail and damaging winds and a few tornadoes being reported. The outbreak then spread to the Midwest and Ohio Valley on April 2, where the derecho occurred. This was followed by supercell development later in the afternoon. Severe storms also affected parts of the Mid-Atlantic on April 3 as well. A total of 32 million people were estimated to be under watches or warnings, and over 700,000 people were estimated to be without power. Twenty-five people were injured; and five people were killed, all of them by non-tornadic events; three of which happened when downed trees fell onto vehicles in Pennsylvania and New York. The storm system was also responsible for causing flooding in parts of the Northeast, and heavy snow over parts of the Midwest and Northern New England.
Starting on the evening of July 13 and extending through July 16, 2024, an intense sequence of severe weather outbreaks affected much of the Midwestern and Northeastern United States. This included two significant derechoes that each had wind gusts exceeding 100 mph (160 km/h), as well as multiple tornado outbreaks that produced a combined 90 tornadoes across the affected areas. A ring of fire pattern fueled multiple systems that brought heavy rain and a tornado outbreak to northern Illinois, contributing to a partial dam failure in Washington County, Illinois, and multiple events of 90 mph (140 km/h) wind gusts. The sequence as a whole killed five people and injured three more.