Tornadoes · United States · Kentucky · 2021
EF2 tornado, Chalybeate to Defries, Kentucky, December 11, 2021
From Chalybeate to Defries, this EF2 tornado ran 17.0 miles across Barren, Edmonson and Hart counties on December 11, 2021, touching down at 1:38 AM CST and reaching 900 yards wide. It killed nobody.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mphthis tornado
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- EF2
- Date
- December 11, 2021
- Touchdown
- 1:38 AM CST (07:38 UTC)
- Lifted
- 1:54 AM CST (07:54 UTC)
- On the ground
- 16 minutes
- Path length
- 17.0 miles (27.3 km)
- Path width
- 900 yards (823 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Counties
- Barren, Edmonson and Hart counties
- Touchdown point
- 37.066, -86.088
- Lift-off point
- 37.226, -85.856
- Record number
- 2112110138-01
The damage survey
272 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS LMK, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF3. The highest wind the damage implies is 165 mph.
- Light pole and sign collapsed in parking lot of Corvette plant.
- Damage is crossing interstate 65.
- Lots of tree damage nearby
- Would have been more damage had porch not blocked it more than likely
Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.
What the Weather Service recorded
Strong southern winds brought warm temperatures and plenty of moisture into an environment of strong wind shear ahead of an advancing cold front. This resulted in unusually warm temperatures for a December day and the ingredients to produce a historic tornado outbreak and flash flooding. This included multiple long track tornadoes. Central Kentucky saw 18 tornadoes that injured 96 and killed 18. An additional death occurred in a flash flood.
This tornado formed approximately 1 mile north of Petros near Petros Browning Road and tracked northeast for approximately 26 miles before exiting Warren County and into southern Edmonson County. Civil Air Patrol assisted in surveying the tornado path in this rural part of Edmonson County. Scattered tree damage was observed from the western edge of the county to where the tornado dissipated, near Brownville Road.
This tornado formed approximately 2.3 miles east of Rocky Hill near Goldenrod Lane and tracked northeast for approximately 1.1 miles before crossing into western Barren County. The tornado continued approximately 9 miles into Barren County before crossing into southern Hart County. The tornado traveled approximately 7 more miles into Hart County before dissipating near Red Buck Estes Road at approximately 0154 CST. In Barren County, the tornado following along US 31W through Park City. In Park City the damage was rated EF1 with many barns encountering roof loss or complete failure, along with many trees found snapped or uprooted. The tornado continued along US 31W into Cave City where it strengthened to EF2 (130mph). The damage sustained here was major loss of roof structures to motels, hotels, and restaurants, highway signs destroyed, metal light poles collapsed, and major destruction to a trailer park. From here, the tornado continued along US 31W into Hart County.
This tornado formed approximately 2.3 miles east of Rocky Hill near Goldenrod Lane and tracked northeast for approximately 1.1 miles before crossing into western Barren County. The tornado continued approximately 9 miles into Barren County before crossing into southern Hart County. The tornado traveled approximately 7 more miles into Hart County before dissipating near Red Buck Estes Road at approximately 0154 CST. In Hart County, the tornado continued along US 31W through downtown Horse Cave. Here the damage was rated EF1 with small roof damage, large limbs being snapped, and walls blown out of some older tobacco warehouses. Once reaching Dawson Knob the tornado weakened and likely converged with the supercell moving into Hardyville. Due to the knob terrain in this area, there are spots of weaker damage found, however on the down-sloping side, the tornado strengthened rapidly. This pattern was found twice in this damage path.
This tornado formed approximately 1.6 miles west southwest of Rowletts near L and N Turnpike Road and tracked northeast for approximately 14.2 miles before crossing into western Green County. The tornado continued approximately 9.7 miles into Green County before dissipating at 0215 CST. In Hart County, the same supercell which came from Bowling Green extended another tornado to the ground on the down-sloping side of Fisher Ridge, just east of I-65 on Highway 335. Here, many barns collapsed on tobacco farms and hardwood trees were snapped. The tornado then continued through Rowletts where snapped/uprooted large trees and roof damage was found at the Caveland Country Club. The tornado then encountered terrain on Dawson Knob where little damage was found, however the tornado quickly intensified on the down-sloping side. The tornado continued down Shady Lane Church Rd. where it destroyed many homes, took roofs off structures and homes, collapsed well-built barns, destroyed an Amish schoolhouse, snapped/uprooted many trees, downed many powerlines, and took the lives of many farm animals. The tornado weakened to the northeast of Hardyville where damage was determined to be EF1 and EF0 to the Green County border.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
40 minutes of warning. NWS LMK issued a tornado warning for this county at 06:58 UTC, 40 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 07:45 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 07:29 UTC and running to 11:40 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:22 UTC | 07:29 UTC | Tornado Watch | LMK |
| 06:58 UTC | 07:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | LMK |
| 07:27 UTC | 07:51 UTC | Tornado Warning | LMK |
| 07:29 UTC | 11:40 UTC | Tornado Watch | LMK |
| 09:00 UTC | 14:45 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | LMK |
| 09:13 UTC | 09:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK |
| 09:47 UTC | 10:05 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 05:48 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Louisville, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Dec 11, 1:35 AM CST, 3 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 11, 1:35 AM CST, 3 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Louisville KY 235 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021 .Forecast Update... Issued at 235 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021 A new Tornado Watch has been issued along and ahead of line of storms currently moving across the area. These storms have had a history of tornadoes and wind damage. The watch is in effect until 9am EST/8am CST but counties will likely be gradually shaved off of the western edge as the threat progresses eastward. Issued at 1250 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021 The aforementioned corridor of 1.6" PWATs and surface dew points in the mid 60s is translating eastward into central Kentucky and central southern Indiana. This corridor is supporting SBCAPE of 1000- 1500 J/kg with decreasing CIN west of I-65 along with strong theta-e ridging overhead. LCL heights are very low, around 500m and very strong shear is still in place. Severe winds and tornadoes are still a possibility as we move through the night (HNB recorded a 44mph wind gust shortly after midnight). Issued at 1130 PM EST Fri Dec 10 2021 Supercells have erupted to our west this evening in corridor of strong shear and unusually strong instability (1000-2000 J/kg MUCAPE) for this time of year. 0-500m SRH of 200-300 m2/s2 more than sufficient for tornadoes, and unfortunately damaging tornadoes appear to have occurred over the mid-Mississippi Valley this evening. Dew points have surged well into the 60s over the western half of Kentucky with precipitable water values around 1.6". Low level jet of 60-70kt impinging on the region ahead of a 90kt 5H speed max ejecting ahead of an upper trough over the central Plains. The storms over western Kentucky have been moving east into central Kentucky this evening, however the tornadoes, as far as we know thus far, appear to be lifting before reaching LMK's CWA. There is a sharp north-south instability gradient roughly from Salem to Brandenburg to Bowling Green, and the storms have struggled as they approach and cross over this gradient. Aircraft soundings out of SDF continue to show a 850-950mb inversion, keeping low levels stable. Earlier storm over Breckinridge County showed good rotation aloft but the rotation was not able to work down to the surface. As the larger scale storm system to our west approaches tonight, surface based instability will spread into southern Indiana and central Kentucky, though not quite as strong as what we saw out west earlier this evening. The low level inversion is expected to weaken overnight, though to what degree is still a question mark. Supercells will continue to be possible over the next couple of hours, and then a line (possibly more than one) of storms is still expected to cross the region late tonight into early Saturday morning. Low level SRH and STP will remain high through the night, so a tornado threat will continue with any storms, whether discrete or in a line. Issued at 750 PM EST Fri Dec 10 2021 Tornado Watch #554 has been issued for the western two-thirds of our CWA until 3 AM EST. Scattered pre-frontal convection has already developed across the lower Ohio/Mississippi River confluence and will quickly race northeastward into our western CWA within the next hour. The VAD wind profiler data from VWX/HOP radars have shown increasing low level wind shear resulting in very strong helicity in the lowest 1 km (resulting in >400 m2/s2). Model soundings along our far western CWA do show a bit of an inversion and farther east toward the I-65 corridor we are seeing that inversion show up on AMDAR soundings. RAP soundings over the next few hours show dew points slowly increasing west of I-65, which may be enough to allow those storms to become surface based when they move into the CWA. Do want to convey that we expect another Watch will be needed farther east in our CWA for the pre-dawn and around sunrise time frame, but that will likely come at a later time tonight. && .Short Term...(This evening through Saturday) Issued at 344 PM EST Fri Dec 10 2021 ...SIGNIFICANT EPISODE OF SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY MORNING... ==================================== Synoptic Discussion ==================================== Deepening mid-level trough axis over the Plains will translate eastward this evening and overnight. The trough axis is forecast to remain positive to neutrally tilted as it moves toward our region. Initial mid-level vorticity lobe moving NE across KS/OK this afternoon will lead to initial convective development across MO/AR/WKY/WIN/SCIL as early as late this afternoon/evening. Deep tropospheric wind fields are expected to overspread the Ohio Valley along with a strengthening low-level flow that will transport deep/rich Gulf moisture northward into the region. The net result of this combination of increasing instability and shear will lead to a severe weather episode over the Ohio Valley tonight and early Saturday morning. Damaging winds in excess 60 MPH and isolated to scattered reports of tornadoes are expected. In addition, copious amounts of moisture will lead to heavy rainfall which may result in some minor flooding issues across the area. ==================================== Meteorological Technical Discussion ==================================== Surface warm front is rather diffuse this afternoon, but boundary looks to be crossing through the region at this time, based on band of elevated convection oriented from W/C IN southeast through eastern KY. This activity will continue to move to the northeast this afternoon. Once this activity clears out, we will be in the open warm sector with moisture advection continuing through the evening hours. Dewpoints are currently in the mid 50s across the region but are approaching 60 in our southwest areas. A stronger dewpoint surge is currently in progress out along the MS river and dewpoints have already risen into the upper 60s over far southwest Kentucky. In the near term, a mid-level short wave evident in the GOES moisture channel was moving NE across OK/KS. This feature will translate northeastward into the Midwest this evening. This feature will likely lead to initial convection firing over AR/MO/WKY/WTN and SCIL later this afternoon/evening. Further east over our area, continued moistening and theta-e advection will continue across our region. The front edge of a strong low-level jet axis will work northeastward into very lower part of the Ohio Valley. As this occurs, additional cooling aloft is expected to overspread portions of SWIN/WKY which should allow higher instability to develop as mid- level lapse rates steepen. These two items will also help erode the elevated mixed layer of warm air aloft and result in a possible uptick in surface based convection across our western CWA this evening. Given the parameter space, initial cells that develop will like be discrete/scattered and given the shear profiles a mix of multicell and supercells are expected. These storms will likely race off to the northeast at 55-60 MPH. Threats with this activity will be damaging winds, perhaps some marginally severe hail, and isolated tornadoes. Many members of the various short range ensemble models generally support this idea, i.e., more members that not. However, the eastward extent of pre-frontal convective development this evening remains uncertain due to unknowns involving how much of the EML will erode and whether surface based convective inhibition will remain. In general, the best chances of convective development this evening will be in areas along and west of the I-65 corridor. Later in the overnight, it appears that additional convection will develop given the instability and deep forcing resulting in more of a linear QLCS. Given the strong shear and substantial front- parallel components of the deep layer flow, downward momentum transfer should yield instances of wind damage within the convective line. Additionally QLCS mesovortices within the squall line where bows and surges develop may produce several instances of embedded tornadoes. This line will work through region during the late night hours and continue into our eastern sections after sunrise Saturday. The expected progressive nature of this line should result in generally short residence time of heavy rainfall over any one particular area. Additional QPF information may be found below in the Hydrology section of the discussion. We will continue to monitor observational data closely this afternoon and evening especially upstream. As cells develop and the convective evolution becomes more certain, we will be able to update our timing and speak a bit more confidently with regards to the possible magnitude of this severe weather event. ==================================== Important Messaging ==================================== As we have mentioned over the past 24 hours, we want to stress the danger in the overnight severe weather potential. Historically, tornadic and widespread severe weather events in the month of December are rare, although we've had a couple of events in the last 10 years (12/2013 and 12/2015). We would like to emphasize the following topics: 1. Have multiple ways to get warnings overnight. Leave your cell phone on and have WEA alerts turned on. Check the status of your weather radio and make sure it is functioning. Charge/replace batteries in your alert devices. 2. Review your severe weather plans for your household. Review where your lowest level interior rooms in your home are and have space ready in there to shelter. Put as many walls as you can between you and the outside of your home. If you have a basement, make sure a shelter space in an interior room or under substantial framing is available and ready in the event of a warning. Stay away from exterior windows and doors. 3. If you live in a mobile home, consider finding a more substantial shelter this evening with friends and/or family. Even in non- tornadic winds, gusts of 60+ MPH can easily flip mobile homes whether they are tied or bolted down. 4. These storms will be moving quickly with speeds of 55 to 60 MPH. Warning lead time on these storms could be a challenge especially involving mesoscale vortices within the anticipated squall line. ==================================== Forecast Confidence ==================================== Tornado Threat: West of I-65: Medium-High East of I-65: Low-Medium Wind Threat: High confidence across our region Flooding Threat: Medium confidence across our region .Long Term...(Saturday night through Friday) Issued at 320 PM EST Fri Dec 10 2021 After an stormy start of the weekend, the latter part of the forecast will certainly be more relaxed. Ejecting upper wave will give way to anomalous ridging aloft and surface high pressure for the easternmost two-thirds of the CONUS. Meanwhile, upstream flow will feature a series of digging troughs which will slowly advance towards the central US by midweek, eroding the high-pressure dome. Sunday-Monday... Morning temperatures both days will be below freezing thanks to a combination of CAA and radiational cooling. Afternoon highs will gently move from the upper 40s on Sunday to the lower 50s at the start of the work week. A dry air mass in place secures clear skies and plenty of sunshine as the surface high pressure moves to the Mid Atlantic states and an West Coast trough moves to Central Plains. Tuesday-Wednesday...The aforementioned large scale configuration imposes a southerly wind and accompanying increased theta-e advection. As a result, temperature readings will progressively climb and the forecast reflects maximum temps around the upper 60s south of the Parkways by midweek. Expect winds to start picking up on Wed with gusts in the 10-15 mph range while cloud coverage spread our area. Thursday-Friday...As the Central Plains trough progresses to the Midwest/Great Lakes region, it pushes an attendant cold front to the Ohio Valley. However, strong ridge aloft anchored over the SE CONUS will inhibit further southward momentum of the baroclinic zone, therefore, it could stall south of our area or right above us. There is still some timing uncertainty with this evolution as noted in the WPC mid-level EOF cluster patterns. That being said, there is increasing agreement for warmer temps on Thursday which could result in record high low for SDF. The latest NAEFS ESA guidance has 850-mb temps around the 90th climo percentile. Winds gusts will be blowing from the southwest around 15-20 mph on Thursday as the front sweeps by central KY and diminishing by Friday. Finally, precipitation is boosted for the end of next week and probably next weekend with the frontal passage and subsequent stalling nearby. This scenario is also reflected by the slight risk of heavy precipitation delineated by CPC during the Dec 17-20 timeframe as return flow from the GoM leads to high rain chances. && .Aviation...(06Z TAF Issuance) Issued at 1226 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021 IMPACTS: -Thunderstorms with torrential rain and gusty winds in the first several hours of the TAF, especially before dawn -Gusty winds outside of storms -Low ceilings DISCUSSION: A powerful spring-like storm system will bring gusty winds and strong thunderstorms to the region during the early morning hours. Cold FROPA will occur from west to east during the daylight morning hours, bringing an end to the storms. However, winds will remain gusty as cold air rushes in behind the front. Winds will come in from the south ahead of the front, switching to west behind the front, then becoming light from the northwest tonight as high pressure builds in. CONFIDENCE: Medium-high on all elements. && .Hydrology... Issued at 320 PM EDT Fri Dec 10 2021 Deep, moist SW flow characterized by PW~1.5" is being advected along the warm sector ahead of an amplifying upper-level trough. Attendant cold front will swing through our area Friday night/Saturday morning bringing a strong-to-severe line of thunderstorms. Heavy rain from this event might provoke localized flooding and river flow rises, especially streams that experienced flow peaks during the last event. Current forecast package is considering QPF in the 1-1.5" range associated with the main frontal passage. Meanwhile 3-hr FFG sits between 2-3" area-wide and the 0-40 cm soil moisture is still average per the latest NASA SPORT analysis. Therefore, rainfall should be largely managable giving minimal runoff. Additionally, HREF 1-hr probabilities for QPF greater than 1" is less than 20%, which aligns well with the progressive nature of the system. Only problem for stagnant water is in poor drainage areas and low-lying locations. WPC still manintains a Marginal Risk (1 out of 4) of excessive rainfall due to the strong linear forcing, theta-e advection, and any localized areas of training convection given the alignment and strenght of the LLJ and the cloud-layer mean wind. Another factor to consider is the antecedent hydrological conditions of rivers that experienced flooding/rises this past Monday and respond quicly to short periods of heavy precipitation, such as: Rochester Ferry, Paris, Peaks Mill,and Boston. Other rivers worth monitoring during the next 24 hours per the lastest AHPS/HEFS forecast are the Green and White Rivers. It is important to mention that the OHRFC does not expect any widespread risk of significant river flooding. && .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...None. KY...None. && Update...13/DM Short Term...MJ Long Term....ALL Aviation...13 Hydrology...ALL
Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 10, 6:41 PM CST, 6 hours 57 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Louisville KY 741 PM EST Fri Dec 10 2021 KYZ036-037-040>043-047>049-055>057-066-067-077-078-081-082-120045- Scott-Harrison-Woodford-Fayette-Bourbon-Nicholas-Mercer-Jessamine- Clark-Boyle-Garrard-Madison-Casey-Lincoln-Adair-Russell-Cumberland- Clinton- Including the cities of Georgetown, Cynthiana, Versailles, Lexington, Paris, Carlisle, Harrodsburg, Nicholasville, Winchester, Danville, Lancaster, Richmond, Liberty, Stanford, Columbia, Jamestown, Burkesville, and Albany 741 PM EST Fri Dec 10 2021 /641 PM CST Fri Dec 10 2021/ This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of south central Indiana and Central Kentucky. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Evening and overnight storms may produce damaging winds and isolated tornadoes as a cold front approaches and moves through the region late tonight into early Saturday morning. Intense rainfall rates may lead to localized flooding concerns. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Behind the front Saturday morning non-thunderstorm winds may gust to 40 mph. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters will be needed tonight into Saturday morning. INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>035-038-039-045-046-053-054- 061>065-070>076-120045- Orange-Washington-Scott-Jefferson-Dubois-Crawford-Perry-Harrison- Floyd-Clark-Hancock-Breckinridge-Meade-Ohio-Grayson-Hardin-Bullitt- Oldham-Trimble-Henry-Shelby-Franklin-Spencer-Anderson-Nelson-Larue- Marion-Butler-Edmonson-Hart-Green-Taylor-Logan-Warren-Simpson-Allen- Barren-Monroe-Metcalfe- Including the cities of Paoli, Salem, Scottsburg, Madison, Jasper, English, Tell City, Corydon, New Albany, Jeffersonville, Lewisport, Hawesville, Hardinsburg, Brandenburg, Hartford, Leitchfield, Elizabethtown, Shepherdsville, Louisville, La Grange, Bedford, Milton, New Castle, Shelbyville, Frankfort, Taylorsville, Lawrenceburg, Bardstown, Springfield, Hodgenville, Lebanon, Morgantown, Brownsville, Horse Cave, Greensburg, Campbellsville, Russellville, Bowling Green, Franklin, Providence, Scottsville, Glasgow, Tompkinsville, and Edmonton 741 PM EST Fri Dec 10 2021 /641 PM CST Fri Dec 10 2021/ ...TORNADO WATCH 554 IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM EST /2 AM CST/ SATURDAY... This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of south central Indiana and Central Kentucky. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Evening and overnight storms may produce damaging winds and isolated tornadoes as a cold front approaches and moves through the region late tonight into early Saturday morning. Intense rainfall rates may lead to localized flooding concerns. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Behind the front Saturday morning non-thunderstorm winds may gust to 40 mph. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters will be needed tonight into Saturday morning. BJS
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Dec 11, 12:29 AM CST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Louisville KY
129 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021
KYZ029-030-034-038-045-110645-
Jefferson KY-Shelby KY-Bullitt KY-Spencer KY-Nelson KY-
129 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of Spencer, west
central Shelby, north central Nelson, southeastern Jefferson and
eastern Bullitt Counties through 145 AM EST...
At 128 AM EST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8
miles east of Shepherdsville, moving northeast at 85 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
This strong thunderstorm will be near...
Taylorsville around 135 AM EST.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 300 AM EST for central
Kentucky.
&&
LAT...LON 3787 8559 3795 8569 3820 8545 3802 8518
TIME...MOT...LOC 0628Z 221DEG 76KT 3798 8556
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
KDWSpecial weather statement, Dec 11, 12:30 AM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Louisville KY
130 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021
KYZ028-029-045-110645-
Bullitt KY-Nelson KY-Hardin KY-
130 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of north central
Nelson, northeastern Hardin and Bullitt Counties through 145 AM
EST...
At 130 AM EST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8
miles southwest of Shepherdsville, moving northeast at 60 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
This strong thunderstorm will be near...
Shepherdsville around 140 AM EST.
Pioneer Village around 145 AM EST.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 300 AM EST for central
Kentucky.
&&
LAT...LON 3803 8550 3801 8551 3797 8546 3796 8544
3790 8538 3783 8590 3794 8596 3808 8561
3807 8558 3808 8554
TIME...MOT...LOC 0630Z 246DEG 55KT 3790 8583
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
DMSpecial weather statement, Dec 11, 12:33 AM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Louisville KY
133 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021
INZ078-079-092-KYZ029>034-038-110700-
Jefferson IN-Clark IN-Scott IN-Jefferson KY-Oldham KY-Shelby KY-
Bullitt KY-Henry KY-Spencer KY-Trimble KY-
133 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of Jefferson, eastern
Clark, southeastern Scott, northwestern Spencer, Oldham, Shelby,
Trimble, Henry, Jefferson and northern Bullitt Counties through 200
AM EST...
At 133 AM EST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Madison, moving northeast at 85 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of Jefferson, eastern
Clark and southeastern Scott Counties in south central Indiana,
Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, northern Bullitt, Henry, northwestern
Spencer and Trimble Counties in north central Kentucky, including the
following locations... Yoder, North Madison, Campbellsburg, Manville,
Buckner, Ballardsville, Smithfield, Crestwood, Clay Village and
Vesta.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 300 AM EST for south central
Indiana...and central Kentucky.
&&
LAT...LON 3869 8520 3874 8527 3874 8533 3863 8523
3858 8521 3860 8508 3856 8506 3857 8504
3855 8500 3851 8503 3852 8498 3849 8499
3848 8497 3810 8510 3796 8589 3891 8546
3892 8520
TIME...MOT...LOC 0633Z 235DEG 75KT 3880 8534
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
KDWLocal storm report, Dec 11, 12:50 AM CST, 48 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
150 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1232 AM TSTM WND DMG CLOVERPORT 37.83N 86.63W
12/11/2021 BRECKINRIDGE KY 911 CALL CENTER
REPORT OF LARGE TREE DOWN IN CLOVERPORT ON
105.
&&
BTNLocal storm report, Dec 11, 12:55 AM CST, 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
155 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1245 AM TSTM WND DMG 1 W HARDINSBURG 37.78N 86.47W
12/11/2021 BRECKINRIDGE KY 911 CALL CENTER
REPORTS OF TREE DOWN ON 992.
&&
BTNSpecial weather statement, Dec 11, 1:01 AM CST, 37 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Louisville KY
201 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021
INZ076-084-089-110715-
Crawford IN-Orange IN-Perry IN-
201 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northern Crawford,
north central Perry and southeastern Orange Counties through 215 AM
EST/115 AM CST/...
At 201 AM EST/101 AM CST/, Doppler radar was tracking a strong
thunderstorm 8 miles southwest of English, moving northeast at 60
mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
This strong thunderstorm will be near...
English around 210 AM EST.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 300 AM EST/200 AM CST/ for
south central Indiana.
&&
LAT...LON 3825 8668 3829 8668 3843 8644 3831 8633
3823 8667 3825 8669
TIME...MOT...LOC 0701Z 238DEG 52KT 3828 8660
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
KDWThe air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), 00:00Z
7.6 hours before the tornado, 126 km from the path. December 11, 2021.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 182 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -168 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 593 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 58 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 38 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 391 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 370 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.5
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.1 K/km
The radar
The Louisville radar (KLVX), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 07:36 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07:04 UTC | TORNADO | 7 Nnw Auburn | Logan, KY | APPROXIMATE END POINT OF EF3 TORNADO. |
| 07:09 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Ne South Union | Warren, KY | *** 17 FATAL, 63 INJ *** AN NWS DAMAGE SURVEY CONFIRMED AN EF-3 TORNADO WITH PEAK WINDS OF 165 MPH OCCURRED ALONG A 29.8 MILE TRACK THROUGH WARREN COUNTY, ENDING IN EDMONSON COUNTY (SEE SEPARATE LSR FOR EDMONSON COUNTY). |
| 07:09 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Sw Hadley | Warren, KY | UPDATED REPORT FROM DEC. 11 TORNADO EVENT. EXTENSION OF TRACK FOR EF-3 TORNADO INTO WESTERN WARREN COUNTY. |
| 07:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Ene Aberdeen | Butler, KY | A COUPLE OF TREES DOWN ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY. |
| 07:15 UTC | TORNADO | Bowling Green | Warren, KY | MULTIPLE REPORTS OF DAMAGED OR COLLAPSED STRUCTURES DUE TO TORNADO. PEOPLE TRAPPED. DAMAGE TO THE CORVETTE PLANT WITH FIRE ON ITS ROOF. |
| 07:19 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Se Bowling Green | Warren, KY | EF-2 TORNADO SOUTH OF THE MAIN TORNADO TRACK THAT WENT THROUGH BOWLING GREEN. THIS WAS ON THE GROUND FOR 5 MINUTES AND 6.1 MILES WITH A PEAK WIDTH OF 300 YARDS. REFER TO THE RECENTLY ISSUED PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT F |
| 07:20 UTC | TSTM WND GST 75 | 2 Nw Plano | Warren, KY | CORRECTS PREVIOUS TSTM WND GST REPORT FROM 2 NW PLANO. THE BOWLING GREEN KENTUCKY MESONET MEASURED A WIND GUST OF 75MPH. |
| 07:33 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Nnw Smiths Grove | Warren, KY | STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND MULTIPLE DOWNED AND BENT POWER POLES NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 31W AND 101. |
| 07:33 UTC | TORNADO | 3 N Smiths Grove | Edmonson, KY | THIS TORNADO IS A CONTINUATION OF THE EF-3 TORNADO LEAVING WARREN COUNTY. EF-1 DAMAGE OCCURRED IN EDMONSON COUNTY ALONG A NEARLY 4 MILE LONG PATH. THE MAX WIDTH WAS A QUARTER MILE WIDE WITH PEAK WINDS NEAR 110 MPH. THE T |
| 07:40 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Nw Bon Ayr | Edmonson, KY | AN EF-2 TORNADO OCCURRED 2.5 MILES ESE OF ROCKY HILL, KY OR 2 MILES NW OF BON AYR. THE TORNADO HAD A MAX PATH WIDTH OF 900 YARDS AND A LENGTH OF 16.6 MILES. THE MAX WIND SPEEDS WERE 130 MPH, AND THE TORNADO LIFTED 3.5 MI |
| 07:41 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Sw Park City | Barren, KY | AN EF-2 TORNADO OCCURRED 2.5 MILES ESE OF ROCKY HILL, KY OR 2 MILES NW OF BON AYR. THE TORNADO CROSSED INTO BARREN COUNTY AROUND 141 AM CST 2 MILES SW OF PARK CITY, KY. IT HAD A MAX PATH WIDTH OF 900 YARDS AND A LENGTH O |
| 07:48 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Ne Cave City | Hart, KY | AN EF-2 TORNADO OCCURRED 2.5 MILES ESE OF ROCKY HILL, KY OR 2 MILES NW OF BON AYR. THE TORNADO CROSSED FROM BARREN TO HART COUNTY AROUND 148 AM CST 2 MILES NE OF CAVE CITY, KY. THE TORNADO HAD A MAX PATH WIDTH OF 900 YAR |
| 07:55 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Wsw Rowletts | Hart, KY | *** 1 INJ *** NWS STORM SURVEY DETERMINED AN EF-2 TORNADO OCCURRED 2 MILES SW OF ROWLETTS, KY. THE TORNADO HAD PEAK WINDS OF 125MPH AND A PATH WIDTH OF 0.3 MILES TRAVELING A DISTANCE OF NEARLY 24 MILES (23.95 MILES). THE |
| 08:05 UTC | TSTM WND GST 74 | Canmer | Hart, KY | THE MUNFORDVILLE KENTUCKY MESONET STATION REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 74MPH. |
| 08:08 UTC | TORNADO | 4 Nne Monroe | Green, KY | *** 1 INJ *** NWS STORM SURVEY DETERMINED AN EF-2 TORNADO OCCURRED 2 MILES SW OF ROWLETTS, KY. THE TORNADO HAD PEAK WINDS OF 125MPH AND A PATH WIDTH OF 0.3 MILES TRAVELING A DISTANCE OF NEARLY 24 MILES (23.95 MILES). THE |
| 08:20 UTC | TORNADO | 2 W Saloma | Taylor, KY | *** 1 FATAL, 30 INJ *** AN NWS STORM SURVEY DETERMINED AN EF-3 TORNADO WITH PEAK WINDS OF 145MPH AND A PATH WIDTH OF A QUARTER MILE IMPACTED PORTIONS OF TAYLOR AND MARION COUNTIES EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE TORNADO TOUC |
| 08:22 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Nnw Hobson | Taylor, KY | EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORT OF COLLAPSED STRUCTURE WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED ON FEATHER CREEK RD NORTH OF CAMPBELLSVILLE IN NORTHERN TAYLOR COUNTY. |
| 08:27 UTC | TORNADO | 3 S New Market | Marion, KY | *** 1 INJ *** AN NWS STORM SURVEY DETERMINED AN EF-3 TORNADO WITH PEAK WINDS OF 145MPH AND A PATH WIDTH OF A QUARTER MILE IMPACTED PORTIONS OF TAYLOR AND MARION COUNTIES EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN A |
| 08:32 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Sw Cave City | Barren, KY | DOWNED TREES AND LINES BLOCKING ROAD ON HERBERT TURNER ROAD JUST OFF 31W. |
| 09:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 S Sugar Grove | Butler, KY | TREES HAD TO BE REMOVED ACROSS ROADWAYS IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY. |
| 09:34 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Saloma | Taylor, KY | REPORT FROM MPING: HOMES/BUILDINGS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2021 tornado in KentuckyEvery tornado in Kentucky since 1950Warnings in force in Kentucky nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of December 11, 2021
37 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 11 | 1:06 AM EST | EF1 | Hardin, KY | 1.9 | 50 | |||
| December 11 | 12:40 AM CST | EF0 | Fayette, TN | 0.5 | 50 | |||
| December 11 | 12:47 AM CST | EF3 | Logan, KY | 28.0 | 1,400 | 1 | ||
| December 11 | 1:51 AM EST | EF1 | Spencer, KY | 1.9 | 100 | |||
| December 11 | 1:09 AM CST | EF3 | Bowling Green tornado, KY | 29.3 | 440 | 16 | 63 | |
| December 11 | 1:19 AM CST | EF2 | Warren, KY | 6.1 | 300 | |||
| December 11 | 1:32 AM CST | EF1 | Madison, TN | 7.9 | 300 | $700,000 | ||
| December 11 | 1:40 AM CST | EF2 | Henderson, TN | 15.3 | 600 | 1 | $4.0 million | |
| December 11 | 1:52 AM CST | EF2 | Hart, KY | 23.8 | 528 | 1 | ||
| December 11 | 2:00 AM CST | EF1 | Decatur, TN | 9.1 | 100 | $220,000 | ||
| December 11 | 3:06 AM EST | EF1 | Hardin, OH | 1.6 | 150 | $300,000 | ||
| December 11 | 2:15 AM CST | EF2 | Perry, TN | 15.2 | 600 | $140,000 | ||
| December 11 | 3:20 AM EST | EF3 | Taylor, KY | 14.5 | 450 | 1 | 31 | |
| December 11 | 2:32 AM CST | EF1 | Hickman, TN | 8.5 | 400 | $50,000 | ||
| December 11 | 2:40 AM CST | EF2 | Hickman, TN | 10.9 | 500 | 2 | $2.0 million | |
| December 11 | 3:41 AM EST | EF1 | Marion, KY | 1.9 | 50 | |||
| December 11 | 2:49 AM CST | EF0 | Dickson, TN | 5.4 | 175 | $10,000 | ||
| December 11 | 2:57 AM CST | EF2 | Dickson, TN | 12.6 | 400 | 1 | $1.5 million | |
| December 11 | 4:01 AM EST | EF2 | Boyle, KY | 0.6 | 100 | |||
| December 11 | 4:02 AM EST | EF1 | Boyle, KY | 3.6 | 400 | |||
| December 11 | 4:04 AM EST | EF1 | Boyle, KY | 7.1 | 100 | |||
| December 11 | 4:07 AM EST | EF1 | Garrard, KY | 3.0 | 950 | |||
| December 11 | 4:10 AM EST | EF1 | Garrard, KY | 0.6 | 100 | |||
| December 11 | 3:12 AM CST | EF0 | Davidson, TN | 9.0 | 300 | $250,000 | ||
| December 11 | 4:22 AM EST | EF1 | Madison, KY | 0.3 | 75 | |||
| December 11 | 3:30 AM CST | EF1 | Davidson, TN | 6.8 | 150 | $1.8 million | ||
| December 11 | 4:31 AM EST | EF1 | Madison, KY | 1.2 | 125 | |||
| December 11 | 3:31 AM CST | EF1 | Davidson, TN | 7.7 | 100 | 1 | $1.3 million | |
| December 11 | 3:33 AM CST | EF0 | Davidson, TN | 1.4 | 50 | $250,000 | ||
| December 11 | 3:42 AM CST | EF0 | Sumner, TN | 6.2 | 50 | $25,000 | ||
| December 11 | 3:48 AM CST | EF0 | Wilson, TN | 3.1 | 50 | $20,000 | ||
| December 11 | 4:04 AM CST | EF0 | Smith, TN | 7.3 | 75 | $20,000 | ||
| December 11 | 4:20 AM CST | EF1 | Monroe, TN to KY | 11.2 | 75 | $500,000 | ||
| December 11 | 4:30 AM CST | EF1 | Prentiss, MS | 4.5 | 100 | $125,000 | ||
| December 11 | 6:17 AM CST | EF0 | Giles, TN | 5.0 | 50 | $20,000 | ||
| December 11 | 7:39 AM CST | EF0 | Grundy, TN | 8.9 | 100 | $50,000 | ||
| December 11 | 5:16 PM EST | EF0 | Wilkinson, GA | 3.8 | 200 |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.