Type | Ice storm Winter storm Tornado outbreak Extratropical cyclone |
---|---|
Formed | 19 December 2013 |
Dissipated | 23 December 2013 |
Lowest pressure | 997 mb (29.44 inHg) |
Tornadoes confirmed | 13 |
Max. rating1 | EF2 tornado |
Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 2 days, 6 hours and 4 minutes |
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | Snowfall – ~36 cm (14 in) Ice – Around 30 mm (1.2 in) [1] |
Fatalities | 29 [2] |
Damage | $54 million – $200 million (2013 USD) |
Power outages | 1,500,000 |
Areas affected | Southern Ontario, Southern Quebec, Upper Midwest, Great Plains, Southeastern United States, East Coast, Michigan, northern New England, Nova Scotia, Canada, Newfoundland, [3] |
Part of the 2013–14 North American winter and tornado outbreaks of 2013 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado |
The December 2013 North American storm complex was a significant storm complex that included many different types of severe weather, including a winter storm, a severe ice storm and a tornado outbreak that impacted the central and eastern portions of Canada, parts of the Central Great Plains, the Southern United States, and the northeastern United States from 20 to 23 December 2013. [4] [5] Formed in the South Central United States, the storm headed across the Great Plains towards Canada into Atlantic Canada and northeastern United States where the storm dissipated on 23 December 2013. [6] The storm produced freezing rain and snow to the affected areas which caused massive damage to electric power transmission and trees. [7] The storm resulted in 29 deaths, loss of power to over a million residents and over $200 million in damages. [8] The storm produced similar conditions to the ice storm of 1998 which affected similar areas.
On 19 December, an area of low pressure that had formed over Texas traveled through the northwestern part of Arkansas, passing through Oklahoma overnight on 19 December, heading towards the Midwestern United States and the Great Plains where lower temperatures forecast ice accumulation. [9] [10] It entered Ontario, Canada, by 2:00 pm on 20 December, when a freezing rain warning was in place. [11] The associated warm front, which ran from Texas, met a cold air mass in eastern Canada, where large amounts of snow fell. [5] Near the front, precipitation was in the form of freezing rain and ice pellets. [4] [12] The front gradually extended toward Atlantic Canada during the night of 20–21 December, affecting extreme Southern Quebec and later the Maritimes. [13] By mid-day on 21 December, an upper-level low had developed in central Texas, and this began to draw moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. While moving to the northeast, the storm dumped heavy snow and ice over parts of the Upper Midwest and Michigan Peninsula through 21 December. One specific part of the storm close to the upper-level low lingered near Kansas and produced snowfall rates of 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) per hour, before eventually moving northwards and leaving behind snowfall totals of up to 10–14 inches (25–36 cm) in some areas.
On 22 December, the storm brought freezing rain to the state of Maine. [14] The storm caused freezing rain to accumulate on tree branches, causing some to fall off and topple power lines. [15] The storm complex continued to produce ice and snow in the northern parts of New England and Canada, before finally weakening and dissipating late on 23 December.
The storm complex was also responsible for producing a small but damaging tornado outbreak that occurred from 20 to 21 December, most of which occurred on 21 December, due to the fact that supercell thunderstorms were able to pop up, and eventually coalesced into a squall line later the same day along the system's cold front, as it tracked towards the East Coast. It then began to linger over the Southeast before weakening as the initial area of low pressure tracked out of the country.
EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Summary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EF0 | WNW of Reganton | Warren | MS | 32°09′19″N90°46′29″W / 32.1554°N 90.7746°W | 2241 – 2242 | 0.24 mi (0.39 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | Limbs and parts of the trunks of five to eight trees were broken off, with some being scattered across a roadway. [16] |
EF0 | S of Newman | Hinds | MS | 32°12′18″N90°42′18″W / 32.205°N 90.705°W | 2256 – 2257 | 0.14 mi (0.23 km) | 30 yd (27 m) | A very brief tornado blew a tree down across a road and scattered limbs and tree debris (leaves, twigs, etc.). [17] |
EF1 | Redfield | Jefferson | AR | 34°25′52″N92°11′17″W / 34.431°N 92.188°W | 0033 – 0035 | 1.48 mi (2.38 km) | 150 yd (140 m) | Several homes sustained roof damage, several sheds were destroyed, a trampoline and a swing set were thrown and wrapped around trees, and numerous trees and power lines were downed. [18] |
EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Summary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EF1 | SW of Woodville | Tyler | TX | 30°44′30″N94°29′52″W / 30.7418°N 94.4977°W | 1958 – 1959 | 0.87 mi (1.40 km) | 25 yd (23 m) | Several large hardwood trees were blown down or snapped; one landed on a parked car. [19] |
EF1 | N of Town Bluff | Tyler | TX | 30°47′12″N94°12′15″W / 30.7867°N 94.2042°W | 2022 – 2023 | 1.48 mi (2.38 km) | 25 yd (23 m) | Part of the metal roof was ripped off a small rural grocery store and blown into the COE park, damaging several picnic areas. Several trees were downed or snapped. [20] |
EF1 | WNW of Kirbyville | Jasper | TX | 30°41′43″N94°01′15″W / 30.6953°N 94.0208°W | 2050 – 2051 | 0.4 mi (0.64 km) | 25 yd (23 m) | A fast-moving tornado ripped off a well-built carport/garage attached to a home. Part of the structure landed on the home, but some of the metal debris was thrown for 200 yards (180 m). [21] |
EF2 | SW of Hughes to NW of Tarsus | St. Francis | AR | 34°54′25″N90°33′32″W / 34.907°N 90.559°W | 2113 – 2129 | 15.57 mi (25.06 km) | 300 yd (270 m) | 1 death – Three mobile homes and a metal shed were destroyed, two homes sustained roof damage, a barn was damaged, and irrigation pivots were overturned. Trees and power lines were downed along the path. Three additional people were injured. [22] |
EF1 | NE of Downsville | Union | LA | 32°38′26″N92°22′37″W / 32.6405°N 92.3770°W | 2143 – 2145 | 0.76 mi (1.22 km) | 75 yd (69 m) | Several trees and a barn were damaged. [23] |
EF2 | ESE of Dermott, AR to NNE of Cleveland, MS | Chicot (AR), Desha (AR), Bolivar (MS) | AR, MS | 33°30′36″N91°21′43″W / 33.51°N 91.362°W | 2251 – 2328 | 41 mi (66 km) | 440 yd (400 m) | A strong, long-track tornado touched down in Chicot County, snapping power poles and flipping two tractor-trailers. Several homes and farm buildings and the Yellow Bend Port Facility sustained minor to major roof damage before the tornado moved into Desha County east of Halley, where a mobile home was knocked off of its foundation and had its porch torn off. In addition, a large metal intermodal shipping container was thrown into the mobile home, smashing the kitchen area. Elsewhere in Desha County, one house had its porch torn off, roof damage, broken windows, and a hole punched in the wall, while a second house had a large amount of roofing torn off, and a third house had the attached carport torn off and blown onto the roof. Several storage sheds were destroyed, and numerous trees and power lines were downed as well. The tornado briefly moved back into Chicot County before crossing the Mississippi River into Bolivar County, where a well-built tractor shed was destroyed, several farm buildings were damaged, and numerous trees and power poles were downed before the tornado lifted. Two people sustained minor injuries; both occurring in the overturned tractor-trailers in Chicot County. [24] [25] [26] [27] |
EF2 | Rena Lara to Clarksdale | Coahoma | MS | 34°08′56″N90°46′01″W / 34.149°N 90.767°W | 2319 – 2328 | 10.07 mi (16.21 km) | 300 yd (270 m) | 1 death – Four homes suffered minor to significant roof damage, a mobile home was heavily damaged (where the fatality occurred), two large garages were destroyed, and two light poles over the football field at Coahoma County High School were bent and destroyed. An elementary school sustained roof and window damage and numerous trees were downed as well. One additional person was injured. [28] |
EF0 | S of Wadesboro | Calloway | KY | 36°44′03″N88°19′04″W / 36.7343°N 88.3178°W | 2331 – 2332 | 0.33 mi (0.53 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | Power lines were downed, and a few trees were uprooted. [29] |
EF1 | SE of Dundee | Tunica | MS | 34°26′47″N90°25′02″W / 34.4465°N 90.4171°W | 2340 – 2344 | 2.67 mi (4.30 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | A tornado just northeast of the Coahoma County line pushed a church at least 10 feet (3.0 m) off of its foundation, damaged multiple homes, and rolled a trailer. Debris was thrown at least 1 mile (1.6 km) from the damaged homes. Numerous trees and power lines were downed as well. [30] |
EF1 | SW of Senatobia | Panola, Tate | MS | 34°31′08″N90°05′38″W / 34.519°N 90.094°W | 2357 – 0002 | 6.17 mi (9.93 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | Four homes sustained roof damage, the covered porch of a two-story home was lifted and deposited onto the roof of a garage, and several trees were downed. [31] [32] |
EF0 | NE of Independence | Tate | MS | 34°44′28″N89°44′29″W / 34.7412°N 89.7413°W | 0013 – 0017 | 0.72 mi (1.16 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | Many homes and a church sustained minor roof damage and trees and power lines were downed. [33] |
EF1 | Campbellsville | Taylor | KY | 37°20′00″N85°23′46″W / 37.3333°N 85.396°W | 0407 – 0413 | 5.53 mi (8.90 km) | 300 yd (270 m) | A tornado touched down west of Campbellsville, destroying small outbuildings before moving through town and to the northeast, where numerous homes sustained roof damage and many trees were downed before the tornado dissipated. [34] |
EF1 | NNW of Cynthiana | Harrison | KY | 38°27′25″N84°22′58″W / 38.457°N 84.3829°W | 0429 – 0434 | 3.49 mi (5.62 km) | 110 yd (100 m) | Many barns and garages were either damaged or destroyed, several homes and outbuildings had roof and structural damage, and numerous trees and power lines were downed. Debris was blown in all directions from some of the structures. [35] |
EF1 | NW of Millersburg | Bourbon | KY | 38°18′00″N84°14′52″W / 38.30°N 84.2477°W | 0441 – 0445 | 5.74 mi (9.24 km) | 125 yd (114 m) | Several large barns, garages, and outbuildings were either significantly damaged or destroyed, with debris scattered in all directions, and some well anchored solid footers from a garage and a barn were lifted up and thrown 75 yards (69 m). Trees and power poles were downed as well. [36] |
Before the storm, meteorologists predicted falls of a mixture of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain from two storm systems from Texas and the Great Lakes. [37] As the predicted possible ice storm was heading towards the northeastern United States, utility workers were preparing for the event. Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo declared a winter ice storm emergency for parts of the state and prepared the emergency operations center. [38] In Toronto, Toronto Hydro executive vice president Ben LaPianta stated, "We knew the storm was coming out of the central U.S., it was a warm air mass and we knew that it was going to collide somewhere in Ontario." [39] Utility workers prepared for the possibility of fallen power lines and officials warned residents to prepare for power outages. [40]
In both central Canada and central United States, cryoseisms (frost quakes) formed as a result of this ice storm were heard by a large number of people. [41]
Hydro One, an electricity company that serves mostly rural areas of Ontario, reported over 600,000 power outages at the height of the storm. [42] The worst-hit areas were along the shores of the Lake Ontario. In Trenton, just east of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), there was a reported 3 cm (1.2 in) of ice accumulation on the ground. The ice accumulation across southern and eastern Ontario was severe enough to cause widespread power outages because of fallen trees and branches. There were numerous automobile accidents on Highway 401. The town of Woolwich declared a state of emergency on 22 December after it was determined it would be without power for at least 24 hours. Elsewhere in Ontario, thousands of customers remained without power until well after Christmas Day. [43]
Toronto, Canada's largest city, was one of the hardest hit by the ice storm. The first wave of freezing rain began on 20 December; it coated the city in a significant but manageable quantity of ice. The second, more powerful wave of rain struck the city in the early morning of 22 December. Utility poles and tree branches collapsed under the weight of the thick ice accumulation. At the height of the storm over 300,000 Toronto Hydro customers had no electricity or heating. [44] The City of Toronto simultaneously opened and operated 13 community reception centers and 13 Toronto police facility community warming centers, providing temporary sleeping accommodation, food, water, hygiene kits and other resources. The warming centers operated 24 hours a day, offering those without electricity a warm place to sleep and eat until their power was restored. [45] By 24 December, four days after the storm, 69,800 customers throughout the city were still without electricity. [46] Approximately 1,000 people spent Christmas Eve in the warming centers. On 29 December, Hydro One diverted its crews to assist Toronto Hydro to help restore power to over 6,000 people in the city who were still without power. In addition to Hydro One, crews were called in from Ottawa, Windsor and Michigan and Manitoba to help restore power to the city by the New Year. West of Toronto, crews were called in from Goderich, Niagara Region, Tillsonburg, St. Thomas, Essex, Guelph, Haldimand County and Oakville.
In Ottawa, temperatures were low enough to spare the nation's capital the worst of the freezing rain. The city received over 30 cm (12 in) of snow in two days. Slippery conditions on Ottawa's roads resulted in public transit delays of up to 30 minutes. There were also numerous VIA Rail delays on services between Ottawa and Toronto. In some cases, trains were delayed for over two hours because of the accumulation of snow and ice on the tracks. Additional delays were caused by fallen trees obstructing the railway. Approximately 6,000 customers in Ottawa lost electricity supplies at the height of the storm; however, unlike areas to the south, the power outages in Ottawa lasted only a few hours. [47]
On 30 December, Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sobeys and Metro donated CA$25,000 in grocery and gift cards, Coppas Fresh Market donated CA$5,000 in grocery cards, and the Ontario Government donated CA$100,000. Residents of Toronto who could not afford to replace food spoiled by the blackout could pick up the cards at Ontario Works offices from 31 December 2013 to 3 January 2014. [48]
On 22 December 2013, the Toronto Transit Commission suspended streetcar services for most of the day because of thick ice on the overhead wires. The Sheppard line also ceased operations until 24 December. On the Yonge–University–Spadina line, trains bypassed North York Centre station because there was no electricity. The entire Scarborough RT line was shut down until 23 December because of the freezing rain. Along the Bloor-Danforth line, shuttle buses ran from Victoria Park to Warden, Kennedy stations and beyond to those on the Scarborough RT line. [49]
The storm affected Quebec, bringing wind gusts measured at 85 km/h (53 mph) and snow accumulations of up to 30 cm (12 in). Accumulations of freezing rain of up to 3 cm (1.2 in) were reported over Montérégie and Eastern Townships regions in the extreme south of the province. It caused six deaths, but none related to the freezing precipitation. More than 50,000 power outages were caused by the accumulation of ice. [50] Hydro-Québec sent more than 500 technicians to help restore power supplies. [51]
The storm system moved eastwards from Ontario towards the Atlantic provinces, creating delays at major airports in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and New Brunswick. 53,000 residents in New Brunswick and 12,000 residents in Nova Scotia were without electricity. [52] [53] These provinces were under a freezing rain warning. [54] [55]
Parts of the United States, including the northeastern United States, New York and Michigan were affected by the storm. Red Cross shelters were set up to assist people affected by it. [3] On 21 December 500 flights were delayed in major hub airports across the country. [56] In the midwest several floods were reported following the storm. [57] On 22 December, the storm also brought record warm temperatures to New York City and the tri state area. In Central Park, the temperatures rose to 71 °F (22 °C) which smashed the previous record of 63 °F (17 °C) set in 1998. [58] Temperatures also reached record highs of 67 °F (19 °C) in Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware, and Atlantic City, New Jersey also set a record high with a maximum temperature of 68 °F (20 °C). [59]
In the state of Maine, more than 123,000 homes lost power. [60] Central Maine Power (CMP), Maine's largest electricity supplier, brought in 900 line crews to supplement the CMP's 85 line crews to restore supplies. In Michigan, approximately 380,700 homes and businesses across the state were without electricity. Many of the outages were reported in Ingham, Genesee, and Lapeer counties. Consumers Energy stated, "this storm was the largest Christmas-week storm in the company's 126-year history and the worst ice storm in 10 years". [61]
Both Vermont and New York issued states of emergency. [62] [63] In Jefferson County, New York, officials declared a state of emergency after significant damage affected the area. An emergency operations center was set up to monitor the storm damage. [64] In upstate New York, more than 70,000 customers were without electricity; 17,000 National Grid plc customers reported outages. [65] Ice storm preparation was in force in New Hampshire, where utility crews staged vehicles before the storm arrived. [38]
In the state of Maine, hydro service provider Central Maine Power started power recovery efforts to 123,000 customers. On 25 December, 1,800 workers cleared broken branches and fallen trees to restore electricity supplies. [66] On 3 April 2014, the Federal Emergency Management Agency declined a request from governor Paul LePage, in funding disaster support to Maine. [67] In Michigan, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality allocated an emergency order to allow several counties to send debris from fallen trees to local landfill sites. [68]
In Arkansas, several power lines fell. Heavy ice damaged trees around Ouachita National Forest and Ozark–St. Francis National Forest, in which some collapsed, causing road closures in the area. [69] In the city of Redfield, Arkansas, a tornado damaged property. [56] In the Missouri city of Springfield, more than 800 residents reported power outages. Utility crews from City Water, Light & Power initiated power recovery efforts. [70] In Southwest and Central Oklahoma, many areas received over 0.64 cm (0.25 in) of ice accumulation. Some locations received over 1.3 cm (0.50 in); in some localized areas 1.9 cm (0.75 in) of ice fell. Isolated power outages occurred, multiple trees and tree limbs were broken or pulled down by the weight of the ice. [71]
It was reported that 27 deaths were related to the storm. [2]
Following the ice storm, thousands of tree branches littered the streets and sidewalks of Toronto. Some roads had to be closed because they were blocked by large tree limbs. More commonly, tree branches made walking on sidewalks difficult; pedestrians were either forced to navigate through the debris or walk onto busy roads to avoid the large branches. Further snow accumulations a few days after the storm resulted in more broken branches and power lines. The city of Toronto announced that debris clearing operations would begin on 3 January 2014. The operation was expected to take about eight weeks to complete. Clearing streets and sidewalks was prioritized, before attention was shifted to cleaning debris from city parks on 23 January. [72] Residents were told that while the city would pick up debris that fell on private property, homeowners were responsible for ensuring the material was piled at the end of their driveways for municipal employees to collect. However, the city announced it would not take responsibility for large tree limbs that had fallen on private property. Residents were told they would have to hire private contractors to remove the material. [73]
Toronto Hydro reported an estimated cost of CA$12.9 million due to the ice storm, including around $1 million of lost revenue, $10 million spent on labor, and $2 million in materials. CEO Anthony Haines reported that the cost might be passed on to customers in increased electricity charges. [74] Haines told critics who argued that Toronto's power distribution system should be moved underground that the project would cost CA$15 billion. He said this would cause a price hike of about 300 per cent because underground systems cost about seven times as much as overhead systems. He also said underground systems may not solve all the problems associated with weather-related power outages. [74]
Funding of CA$114 million was requested for provincial and federal aid by the Toronto City Council. [75] [76] It was estimated that damage to the city of Brampton cost $51 million; in Mississauga it was $25 million. [75] Several Manitoba Hydro utility workers assisted in the recovery efforts. [77]
In Quebec on 22 December, Hydro-Quebec reported 9,500 clients were affected by power outages from the storm. [78] Five days later, 4,000 were without power, most of whom were in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. [79] By 29 December, the reports had decreased to below 400. [80]
Following the ice storm, it was reported that half of the residents of Saint John, New Brunswick were without power. NB Power reported that recovery efforts were underway but would be slow. [81] On 27 December, NB Power restored electricity to 13,000 customers. [82] [83] 3,200 NB Power customers were still without power on 29 December. [80] In Nova Scotia, crews responded to the outages. 2,000 reports were completed by 24 December. [83]
The February 2007 North American blizzard was a massive winter storm that affected most of the eastern half of North America, starting on February 12, 2007, and peaking on Valentine's Day, February 14. The storm produced heavy snowfalls across the midwestern United States from Nebraska to Ohio and produced similar conditions across parts of the northeastern United States, and into Canada in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Significant sleet and freezing rain fell across the southern Ohio Valley and affected portions of the east coast of the United States, including the cities of Boston, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., New York City and Philadelphia.
The April or Spring nor'easter of 2007 was a nor'easter that affected mainly the eastern parts of North America during its four-day course, from April 14 to April 17, 2007. The combined effects of high winds, heavy rainfall, and high tides led to flooding, storm damages, power outages, and evacuations, and disrupted traffic and commerce. In the north, heavy wet snow caused the loss of power for several thousands of homes in Ontario and Quebec. The storm caused at least 18 fatalities.
The tornado outbreak of October 17–19, 2007 was a widespread tornado outbreak that took place across much of the eastern half of North America starting on October 17, 2007, and continuing into the early hours of October 19. The outbreak was also responsible for five deaths; three in Michigan and two in Missouri, plus many injuries. At least 64 tornadoes were confirmed including 16 on October 17 across six states including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri with wind damage reported in Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Arkansas and Mississippi. On October 18, at least 48 tornadoes were confirmed across eight states including Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, plus widespread straight line wind damage. Until 2010, this event held the record for largest tornado outbreak ever recorded in the month of October according to NOAA.
The Mid-December 2007 North American winter storms were a series of two winter storms that affected much of central and eastern North America, from December 8 to December 18, 2007. The systems affected areas from Oklahoma to Newfoundland and Labrador with freezing rain, thunderstorms, sleet, snow, damaging winds, and blizzard-like conditions in various areas. The first two storms produced copious amounts of ice across the Midwestern United States and Great Plains from December 8 to December 11, knocking out power to approximately 1.5 million customers from Oklahoma north to Iowa. The second storm moved northeast, producing heavy snow across New York and New England. A third storm was responsible for a major winter storm from Kansas to the Canadian Maritimes, bringing locally record-breaking snowfalls to Ontario, an icestorm across the Appalachians, and thunderstorms and 9 tornadoes to the Southeastern United States.
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.
Near the end of 2012, a massive storm complex developed that produced both a tornado outbreak and a blizzard across the southern and eastern United States. On Christmas Day 2012, a tornado outbreak occurred across the Southern United States. This severe weather/tornado event affected the United States Gulf Coast and southern East Coast over a two-day span. It occurred in conjunction with a much larger winter storm event that brought blizzard conditions to much of the interior United States. In total, 31 tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service in five states from Texas to North Carolina. All but one of the tornadoes that occurred during the outbreak touched down on December 25, with the other occurring the following day in North Carolina. Two of the tornadoes were destructive enough to be rated EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. At least 16 people died as a result of the related blizzard, and thousands were without power.
On November 17, 2013, the deadliest and costliest November tornado outbreak in Illinois history took shape, becoming the fourth-largest for the state overall. With more than 30 tornadoes in Indiana, it was that state's largest tornado outbreak for the month of November, and the second largest outbreak recorded in Indiana. Associated with a strong trough in the upper levels of the atmosphere, the event resulted in 77 tornadoes tracking across regions of the Midwest United States and Ohio River Valley, impacting seven states. Severe weather during the tornado outbreak caused over 100 injuries and eleven fatalities, of which eight were tornado related. Two tornadoes—both in Illinois and rated EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale—were the strongest documented during the outbreak and combined for five deaths. In addition to tornadoes, the system associated with the outbreak produced sizeable hail peaking at 4.00 in (10.2 cm) in diameter in Bloomington, Illinois, as well as damaging winds estimated as strong as 100 mph (160 km/h) in three locations.
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.
Between April 28 – May 1, 2017, a series of severe weather events affected the Central United States, producing life-threatening flooding and a major tornado outbreak. It formed out of a disturbance in the Southwestern United States on April 28, and caused significant impacts, including a heavy snowstorm in the Rockies, and other types of severe weather. Up to 3 feet (36 in) of snow fell on the cold side of the system, and up to a foot of rain fell in and around the central parts of the nation.
The April 2018 North American storm complex also known as Winter Storm Xanto brought a wide swath of severe and winter weather that affected much of Midwest across to the East Coast of the United States. This particular outbreak led to at least 73 confirmed tornadoes over a three-day period, most of which occurred across Arkansas and Louisiana during the evening hours of April 13. The most significant tornadoes were an EF1 that caused a fatality in Red Chute, Louisiana, early on April 14, an upper-end EF2 tornado that impacted eastern sections of Greensboro, North Carolina on April 15, causing 17 injuries, and a significant EF3 tornado that impacted areas from Lynchburg to Elon, Virginia, causing severe damage and at least 10 injuries.
A destructive, two-day tornado outbreak affected the Great Lakes region of the United States and the National Capital Region of Canada in late-September. A total of 37 tornadoes were confirmed, including a violent long-tracked high-end EF3 tornado that moved along a 80 km (50 mi) path from near Dunrobin, Ontario to Gatineau, Quebec, and an EF2 tornado in the Nepean sector of Ottawa. The tornadoes in Ottawa-Gatineau were declared one of the ten most significant weather events of 2018 in Canada by the Meteorological Service of Canada.
The March 2019 North American blizzard was a powerful Colorado Low that produced up to two feet of snow in the plains and Midwest. Rapid snowmelt following the storm caused historic flooding, and some areas received hurricane-force wind gusts. Comparable to the 1993 Storm of the Century, the storm was labeled a bomb cyclone after barometric pressure readings dropped in excess of 24 mbar (0.71 inHg) over a 24-hour period. After the storm entered Colorado from its origination in Arizona, the pressure dropped more than 30 mbar (0.89 inHg) and rapidly intensified over the western High Plains. The severe storm set new all-time record low barometric pressure readings in Colorado, Kansas and New Mexico. The storm itself killed only one person in Colorado, but flooding caused by the storm killed at least 3, one in Iowa and at least two in Nebraska and left ~140,000 without power in Texas.
The following is a list of weather events that occurred in 2018.
On December 15, a rapidly-deepening low-pressure area contributed to a historic expanse of inclement weather across the Great Plains and Midwestern United States, resulting in an unprecedented December derecho and tornado outbreak across portions of the Northern United States, a region normally affected by snow and cold weather during this time of year. Non-thunderstorm winds spurred the formation of rapidly-moving fires across Colorado and western Kansas, with attendant dust and debris spreading eastward. From central Kansas northeastward into eastern Wisconsin, the powerful derecho led to hundreds of damaging wind reports. At least 57 hurricane-force wind reports were received by the National Weather Service, signaling the most prolific wind event in the United States dating back to at least 2004. Numerous embedded circulations within this rapidly-progressing derecho produced dozens of tornadoes, including 33 that were rated EF2. The culmination of non-thunderstorm, thunderstorm, and tornadic winds caused widespread damage to structures, trees, power lines, and vehicles across the Plains and Midwest. At least 600,000 people lost power on December 15, and temperatures dropped significantly across the affected region following the event, causing accumulating snow, which hindered cleanup and recovery efforts. The storm killed at least 5 people directly, as well as 2 people indirectly through wildfires partly spawned by the storm, and caused at least $1.8 billion in damages. The number of tornadoes in this event broke a record for largest outbreak in the month of December that had been set less than a week prior. The event also became one of the largest single-day outbreaks in recorded history, with 120 tornadoes occurring over an eight-hour period.
The May 2022 Canadian derecho was a high-impact derecho event that affected the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor, Canada's most densely populated region, on May 21, 2022. Described by meteorologists as a historic derecho and one of the most impactful thunderstorms in Canadian history, winds up to 190 km/h (120 mph) as well as around four tornadoes caused widespread and extensive damage along a path that extended for 1,000 kilometres (620 mi).
A late-season tornado outbreak in the Southern United States affected the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, from the afternoon of November 29 into the morning of November 30, 2022. The outbreak was the result of an intense upper-level trough that materialized over the aforementioned states where increased moisture, atmospheric instability, and elevated wind shear were present, creating conditions highly conducive to supercell thunderstorms. Multiple tornadic storms developed in the risk area, producing numerous tornadoes. Several of these tornadoes were strong and destructive, prompting the issuance of multiple PDS tornado warnings. Two low-end EF3 tornadoes caused severe damage near Clarks, Louisiana and Tibbie, Alabama respectively while the Flatwood and Willow Springs communities north of Montgomery, Alabama was struck by an EF2 tornado, which caused two fatalities. Numerous weaker tornadoes also touched down, including a high-end EF1 tornado that caused considerable damage in Eutaw, Alabama. In all, 27 tornadoes were confirmed.
A four-day tornado outbreak affected the Central and Southern United States in mid-December 2022. The outbreak produced strong tornadoes in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, resulting in severe damage and three fatalities. On December 13, a high-end EF1 tornado was caught on video from multiple angles as it caused considerable damage in Grapevine, Texas, where five people were injured, and multiple EF2 tornadoes caused significant damage in other parts of Texas and Oklahoma that morning. Two large EF2 tornadoes occurred near DeBerry, Texas and Keachi, Louisiana to the southwest of Shreveport, Louisiana, with the second one causing severe damage and two fatalities. An EF3 tornado struck the northern fringes of Farmerville, causing major structural damage and 14 injuries.
A large and dynamic storm system bought widespread impacts across much of the United States at the end of February 2023. In the Western United States, heavy snow, hail, and gusty winds affected many areas. This led to the partial closure of several major highways, including I-205 in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, as well as numerous fatal accidents on other highways. Hundreds of flights were cancelled, thousands of people lost power, and multiple sporting events were postponed. In the Great Plains and Mississippi Valley, significant impacts from severe weather occurred. A severe squall line produced destructive straight-line winds in the St. Louis metropolitan area on February 23. The most impactful day in terms of severe weather was on February 26, when a powerful line of severe thunderstorms containing damaging straight-line winds and numerous embedded tornadoes impacted the Texas Panhandle, southern Kansas, and most of the state of Oklahoma. Dozens of instances of large hail, damaging wind gusts, and multiple tornadoes were confirmed with this event, including an EF2 tornado that killed a person in Cheyenne, Oklahoma. A 114 mph (183 km/h) wind gust from straight-line winds was reported in Memphis, Texas, which was the highest wind gust since the August 2020 Midwest derecho. Five of these tornadoes formed in the Oklahoma City metro area, including a high-end EF2 tornado that caused severe damage in the southeastern part of the city of Norman. The event set the record for the most tornadoes ever recorded in Oklahoma in the month of February since modern records began in 1950. More tornadoes touched down in Illinois the next day, including some in the Chicago metropolitan area. In addition to the severe weather impacts, parts of the Midwestern United States also received periods of heavy snowfall and gusty winds along with ice, causing dozens of accidents, knocking out power, and canceling hundreds of flights. The Northeastern United States was also affected by heavy snowfall.
An intense low-pressure system produced widespread impacts across the United States in early March 2023. Additionally, an outbreak of 35 tornadoes affected 12 states from the Southern United States to the Great Lakes. In all, the storm system killed 13 people due to flooding and strong winds. At least 17 other people were injured.
A large and robust storm system, unofficially named Winter Storm Finn by The Weather Channel, brought widespread impacts to much of the contiguous United States early in January 2024. In the northern United States, heavy snow, hail, and gusty winds affected areas from the Great Plains to New England. In the southern United States, a widespread tornado outbreak along the Gulf Coast caused two fatalities and numerous injuries.
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