Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for December 16, in any year, each linked to its full record.
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Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck Gansu Province, Shanxi Province, China. It killed 235,502 people and did $25 million in damage. It caused a tsunami.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Campania, Potenza, Italy. It killed 10,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Andizhan, Uzbekistan. It killed 4,880 people, destroyed 41,704 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Volcanoes
Vesuvius, Italy erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 5. It killed 4,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage. The eruption caused a tsunami and was accompanied by an earthquake.
Earthquakes
An earthquake struck Naples (Napoli), Italy. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 4,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Yunnan Province, China. It killed 2,000 people, injured 3,000 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 8.5 earthquake struck Valdivia, Chile. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 1,321 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.5 earthquake struck Southern Chile. It killed 1,321 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Northeastern, Afghanistan. It killed 500 people, injured 3,000 and did $1 million in damage.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama and tracked 18 miles, 750 yards wide at its widest, killing 11 and injuring 144.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Taiwan. It killed 319 people and destroyed 1,768 houses.
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of December 16, 1929 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from December 16, 1929 to December 21, 1929.
39 on December 16, oldest first.
An F4 tornado touched down in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama and tracked 18 miles, 750 yards wide at its widest, killing 11 and injuring 144.
The tornado began in southwestern Tuscaloosa County on the west side of the Black Warrior River. Traveling in a northeasterly direction the tornado moved from a rural, unpopulated area of the Black Warrior River into an area of homes south of Shelton State Community College.
An F3 tornado touched down in Etowah, Cherokee counties, Alabama and tracked 12.8 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, injuring 14.
An F2 tornado touched down in Geneva County, Alabama and tracked 4.5 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 9.
An F2 tornado touched down on West Hendrix Avenue, just north of Highway 27 South, then tore through the Devco Community, Geneva, AL and continued on through the Bellwood Community just east of Highway 85 before lifting.
Damage in Etowah and Cherokee counties was the result of an F3 tornado. The tornado track was 12.8 miles long and just over one quarter of a mile or about 500 yards wide at its widest point.
An F2 tornado caused major damage in the Marion and Dalewood Shore Lake communities, northeast of Meridian. Two houses and thirteen mobile homes were destroyed. Eleven houses and twelve mobile homes received major damage.
On December 16, 2000, a destructive tornado outbreak hit the Southeastern United States, from Mississippi to North Carolina. The most significant tornado of the outbreak occurred in communities south and east of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The F2 tornado continued its intermittent track northeast from eastern Dale County into western Henry County, but had weakened to an F1 tornado. Just north of Murphy Station along Highway 27 and a quarter mile west of U.S.
The Stewart county emergency manager reported that power lines were down and there was debris on one of the roads which passes through the Hannahatchee Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
The F0 tornado moved northeast from extreme western Houston County into southeast Dale County. It rapidly intensified to an F2 tornado as it continued its intermittent track into the eastern portion of the county. A Midland City church annex lost parts of its roof and walls.
In St. Clair County, an F2 tornado track extended from near Cool Springs to south of Ashville to near Gum Springs Church. The total track was 8.5 miles long and about 200 yards wide at its widest point. The tornado began at 220 PM on County Road 31, just west of Cool Springs.
An F2 tornado damaged the main house and several surrounding structures at Abigail Plantation off Old Tallahassee Road, as well as several other homes on Old Dawson and Springhill Roads. Hundreds of plantation trees were uprooted.
An F2 tornado touched down once just south of Bonifay, lifted, then touched down again before dissipating just east of the city. According to the Holmes County EMA, 39 homes and eight businesses were damaged, and four mobile homes were destroyed.
The supercell thunderstorm which spawned an F2 tornado near Bonifay in southeast Holmes County, tracked northeast into northwest Jackson County. This storm produced an F1 tornado which touched down twice.
A second tornado began 5.1 miles west-northwest of Athens just south of O'Neal. The tornado travelled in a northeasterly direction crossing SR 99 where several houses were damaged heavily.
The tornado first touched down in Lawrence County northeast of Courtland in open farm land. It traveled northeast into Limestone County crossing the Tennessee river and causing damage about 2.9 miles south of Coxey in southwest Limestone County.
NWS Storm Survey indicated touchdown of the tornado was near Cash Point where a small mobile home was extensively damaged. The roof of the mobile home was peeled off. Other roof damage was observed within 1/4 of a mile from the mobile home.
The supercell thunderstorm which spawned the F2 tornado in Geneva moved northeast across extreme western Houston County and produced an F0 tornado which caused minor roof damage to five homes, blew out windows and overturned lawn furniture.
An F2 Tornado touched down at the Point Lookout West Estates. There were 2 minor injuries. 15 homes were destroyed, with 15 to 20 other homes receiving major damage. Trees and power lines were down. Reported by the Sheriff's office.
A strong cold front combined with the remnants of Tropical Depression Olga to produce hazardous weather in west central Florida. The tornado formed from a long-lived supercell thunderstorm that moved onshore from the Gulf of Mexico.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Beauregard Parish, Vernon Parish, Rapides Parish, Louisiana and tracked 62.61 miles, 550 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
38 tornadoes were recorded on December 16, 2019, in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee. They killed 3 people.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Amite, Lincoln counties, Mississippi and tracked 30.32 miles, 880 yards wide at its widest, injuring 3.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Jones, Wayne, Clarke counties, Mississippi and tracked 61.19 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Lamar, Covington counties, Mississippi and tracked 5.83 miles, 560 yards wide at its widest.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Simpson, Smith counties, Mississippi and tracked 18.63 miles, 1,320 yards wide at its widest.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Lawrence, Limestone counties, Alabama and tracked 18.46 miles, 370 yards wide at its widest, killing 2.
A cold front pushed across Louisiana with showers and storms ahead of the boundary. A couple storms produce tornadoes with one being long tracked.
During the late afternoon and evening hours, a broken line of severe thunderstorms pushed rapidly east across north Alabama. The thunderstorms produced at least (6) tornadoes, numerous reports of wind damage and a couple reports of large hail in north Alabama.
A well defined, positively-tilted trough existed across the Southern Plains and at the surface, a cold front was progressing across Arkansas and Louisiana, while an intensifying area of low pressure propagated northeast along the boundary.
A stalled front was located across the Mid-South. A moist and unstable airmass was in place south of the stalled front across northeast Mississippi.
A very warm and moist air mass developed over Central Alabama on Monday, December 16th. Afternoon temperatures warmed into the lower and middle 70s, which was 15 to 20 degrees above normal for the middle of December.
A weak surface low associated with a cold front helped develop a line of severe thunderstorms across southern Mississippi.
From the mid-morning through the mid-afternoon hours on December 16th, 2019, a strong cold front progressed from west to east across the Four State region, ahead of a strong upper level trough which progressed east across the Southern Plains.
A powerful late fall storm system moved across the eastern U.S. on December 16, 2019, bringing widespread severe thunderstorms and numerous tornadoes to the Gulf Coast states and Tennessee Valley.
Low pressure in the Gulf of Mexico moved into the Florida Panhandle with a trailing cold front moving through West Central Florida in the afternoon. A surge of moisture ahead of the front created a brief opportunity for strong and locally severe storms.
3 on December 16, oldest first.
Heavy surf struck the Sandy Point/Birch Bay area sending water flowing across patios, decks and into homes. The surf, driven by 50 mph winds, was up to 10 feet high. Advanced warning allowed people to board up windows and secure property.
Hurricane Yasa reached its peak of 140 kt (160 mph) with a central pressure of 914 mb, a category 5 storm.
Hurricane Rai reached its peak of 150 kt (175 mph) with a central pressure of 908 mb, a category 5 storm.
17 on December 16, oldest first.
Heavy rainfall caused Banklick Creek to flood Pioneer Park and Cody road.
Heavy rainfall caused flooded roads across the county.
A strong low pressure system moved across the northern Great Lakes late on the 16th. Warm air moving north ahead of the system allowed precipitation - which began as snow - to switch to freezing rain and then just rain.
A slow moving storm system dropped heavy rain across North Central Texas Saturday night, December15th and during the day Sunday December 16th. Unofficial reports of four to ten inches of rain fell in 48 hours along and east of Interstate 35.
Numerous roads were flooded in most counties of southeast Missouri. At least 20 county roads were closed in Stoddard County. County Road 18 was washed out in Ripley County, and other road washouts were reported in Scott and Mississippi Counties.
Storm total (48-hour) precipitation amounts were around 6 to 9 inches over the Olympics and Willapa Hills, 4 to 6 inches over the southern Cascades, 3 to 5 inches over the central Cascades, and 2 to 4 inches over the north Cascades.The Chehalis, Skookumchuck, Satsop, Dungeness,…
Heavy thunderstorm rains caused several county roads and streets to be flooded in and around Green Forrest.
Almost two inches of rain fell in a two hour period, causing low lying roads and most creeks to flood. In Carlsbad, 5 women tried to cross a flooded bridge in a car, which stalled midway then floated downstream and overturned. Two women escaped, the other three drowned.
Strong east to northeast winds blowing across a long distance combined with high astronomical tides caused significant beach erosion and tidal flooding across parts of coastal Southeast NY. Tidal departures ranged from 2 to 4 feet above normal.
The 2008 Papua New Guinea floods displaced roughly 75,000 people located in Papua New Guinea, prompting an international response to provide support for the region. The country was struck by large sea swells on 16 December, apparently caused by "strong storms", which affected over eight provinces and caused at least one death.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Seven freight cars were knocked off the tracks by a mudslide near Everett. After each mudslide, passenger trains must wait 48 hours before resuming travel.
A strong storm system brought a prolonged period of moderate to heavy rainfall to the middle Ohio River Valley on the 15th and 16th.
Heavy rainfall occurred across eastern Kentucky on December 16th, following previous rounds of rainfall. Thus, soils were saturated prior to the arrival of an additional 2-3 inches of rain. The heavier rain amounts and associated flooding impacts occurred west of U.S.
A strong storm system brought a prolonged period of moderate to heavy rainfall across the middle Ohio River Valley and central Appalachians on the 15th and 16th. Over a roughly 36 hour period, 1 to 2 inches of rain fell.
A strong storm system brought a prolonged period of moderate to heavy rainfall to the middle Ohio River Valley on the 15th and 16th. Over a roughly 36 hour period, 1.5 to 3 inches of rain fell.
A strong surface low deepened across the eastern Gulf of Mexico as high pressure dominated northeast of the region creating very strong onshore flow.
Enhanced pressure gradients between a surface high and stalled frontal boundary produced strong and gusty northeasterly winds across much of South Florida beginning on December 13th, with winds eventually turning southerly and peaking on December 16th and 17th when gale force…
26 on December 16, oldest first.
On this day in 1994, a late season severe weather episode occurred over central and southeast Oklahoma. Severe thunderstorms moved through the Shawnee, Ardmore, and Durant areas, producing hail as large as ping-pong balls.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
A strong arctic front blew through the state on this date. High winds from the northeast developed as this front moved through. Wind gusts from 70-110 mph were recorded from all the remote observing platforms in the mountains.
High winds of 40 to 60 mph toppled trees, damaged roofs, and knocked power out to many communities across southwest and central Louisiana.
Sustained winds of 40-45 mph with gusts to 55 mph over parts of Island, Whatcom, Skagit and Kitsap counties, left 1,110 people without power.
High winds estimated between 40 and 60 mph blew down many trees and power lines across southeast Texas. Trees were knocked onto homes and vehicles in Beaumont, Port Arthur and Nederland in Jefferson County.
Strong gradient winds in advance of a cold front led to numerous reports of downed trees and power lines. Several billboards were blown down.
Several trees were blown down.
Straight-line winds damaged seven businesses and destroyed one. Two mobile homes were overturned. Reported by the Holmes County EMA.
Six residences and a barn sustained minor damage. Reported by the Clay County Sheriff.
Strong southeast wind was observed in the San Joaquin Valley in the early morning hours of the 16th. Wind gusts to 41 MPH were observed around Los Banos around 0300 PST; 38 MPH at Merced at 0520 PST; and, 36 MPH at Kettleman Hills at 0509 PST.
A 971mb low, just off Cape Suckling, spread a strong front up through Southeast Alaska on this date. High winds were able to surface in most locations and resulted in extensive damage, power and phone outages.
Four big rigs were blown over on Inland Empire freeways by gusty Santa Ana winds. A wind gust of 69 mph was recorded in northwest San Bernardino at about the same time as the accidents. Another big rig was blown over on the Ramona Expressway near San Jacinto.
An area of low pressure intensified as it moved from the mid-Atlantic states toward New England during the evening of 15 December and the morning of 16 December.
A strong area of high pressure was anchored over southeastern Canada on December 15th. This high gradually moved eastward during the day, however it wedged itself down into the Mid Atlantic region. Meanwhile, a storm system became more organized across the Gulf Coast states.
As low pressure moved northeast along the East Coast, strong northwest winds in its wake resulted in downed trees and power lines.
A strong area of high pressure was anchored over southeastern Canada on December 15th. This high gradually moved eastward during the day, however it wedged itself down into the Mid Atlantic region. Meanwhile, a storm system became more organized across the Gulf Coast states.
As low pressure moved northeast along the East Coast, very strong northwest winds in its wake downed trees and power lines.
High winds behind a cold front associated with strong low pressure caused damage in Garrett county Maryland, and Preston and Tucker counties in West Virginia.
A powerful primary upper level and surface low across the Ohio River Valley on the morning of December 16th spawned a secondary coastal low in the Delmarva Peninsula.
A strong low pressure system brought high winds to portions of Northwest Oregon.
A strong low pressure system brought strong southerly winds to portions of Southwest Washington.
A strong Pacific storm system brought high winds to portions of the Mojave Desert and snow to the southern Great Basin.
North winds in the wake of a departing system brought down trees and limbs, causing 2 injuries and numerous power outages.
Storm Carmel was an extratropical cyclone that was part of the 2021–22 European windstorm season. Storm Carmel was named by the Hellenic National Meteorological Service on 16 December 2021.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An impressive sub-980mb cyclone tracked across western Lake Superior into Ontario during the morning of 12/16, bringing widespread wind gusts of 60-70mph across all of northern Michigan. The highest gust recorded was 70mph at Traverse City Cherry Capitol airport.
A very strong low pressure system tracked from the arrowhead of Minnesota northeast toward James Bay. Strong winds gusting to 50 mph occured across much of southeast Michigan, with peak winds reaching 60 mph or greater across Huron and Saginaw.
42 on December 16, oldest first.
Snowstorm of December 16, 1909 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the South. It lasted from December 16, 1909 to December 20, 1909.
Snowstorm of December 16, 1929 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from December 16, 1929 to December 21, 1929.
Snowstorm of December 16, 1932 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from December 16, 1932 to December 18, 1932.
A powerful Alberta Clipper and a slow moving deep Arctic high pressure brought widespread prolonged blizzard conditions to central, northcentral and northeast South Dakota.
A strong low pressure center moved southeast out of canada into the northern plains bringing with it blizzard conditions. The blizzard lasted for 3 days in North Dakota.
Widespread blizzard conditions occurred as prolonged winds of 30 to 45 mph with gusts as high as 60 mph combined with heavy loose snow cover and light falling snow to produce whiteout conditions. Wind chills as cold as 60 below zero also occurred.
Cold air crossing the Great Lakes produced lake effect snows downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario.Off Lake Erie the band of precipitation began across the Niagara Peninsula, but settled south quickly across the Buffalo metro area before settling over southern Erie, Wyoming and the…
A powerful storm system moved through the central U.S. during the day on the 16th. Low pressure tracked southeast into northern Missouri, then tracked northeast into the Great Lakes. Behind the low was a strong Arctic high pressure area.
Several counties across north and central Georgia experienced a problem with black ice and a heavy frost forming on the roads as clearing occurred the evening before following a rainy, foggy day and temperatures dropped into the mid 20s.
A storm system developed over the lower Mississippi Valley early on the 15th of December and moved northeast to western Long Island of New York early on the 16th of December. The storm continued northeast into the Gulf of Maine by the evening of December 16th.
A storm system developed over the lower Mississippi Valley early on the 15th of December and moved northeast to western Long Island of New York early on the 16th of December. The storm continued northeast into the Gulf of Maine by the evening of December 16th.
Surface low pressure moving up the east coast brought copious moisture north ahead of it. Snow started across the area starting the afternoon of the 15th. During the evening the snow changed to sleet and freezing rain.
Surface low pressure moving up the east coast brought copious moisture north ahead of it. Snow started the afternoon of the 15th, then continued into the morning of the 16th before ending. The snow was mixed with sleet and freezing rain during the morning of the 16th.
A storm system developed over the lower Mississippi Valley early on the 15th of December and moved northeast to western Long Island of New York early on the 16th of December. The storm continued northeast into the Gulf of Maine by the evening of December 16th.
A storm system developed over the lower Mississippi Valley early on the 15th of December and moved northeast to western Long Island of New York early on the 16th of December. The storm continued northeast into the Gulf of Maine by the evening of December 16th.
An avalanche at 9,500 foot elevation occurred near Stewart Peak around 3:00 p.m. MST. The slide sent a slab of snow 400 feet long and 300 feet wide down a hillside. Two snowmobilers were caught in the snow which accumulated to nearly 10 feet in depth.
Two low pressure systems merged into a storm over eastern Massachusetts and produced strong winds and heavy snow across New Hampshire. One indirect fatality occurred when a car collided with a snow removal machine in Nashua.
A powerful primary upper level and surface low across the Ohio River Valley on the morning of December 16th spawned a secondary coastal low in the Delmarva Peninsula.
A powerful primary upper level and surface low across the Ohio River Valley on the morning of December 16th spawned a secondary coastal low in the Delmarva Peninsula.
Light lake-enhanced snow fell December 16th into early December 17th. Snowfall amounts ranged from 1 to 3 inches. This led to icy road conditions and a fatal car crash early December 17th in South Bend.
A winter storm brought between 1 and 3 inches of snow to areas north of the I-70 corridor on December 16th. Further south, patchy freezing drizzle created icy road conditions south of I-70...where numerous traffic accidents were reported.
Isentropic ascent coupled with forcing aloft in the form of the left exit quadrant of an upper level jet streak offered large scale lift across the forecast area, and helped to produce a widespread snowfall event across the local area.
A wintry mix of precipitation affected most of Eastern Pennsylvania (except for right around Philadelphia) from the morning of the 16th into the morning of the 17th. In spite of nearly twenty-four hours of precipitation, the intensity was mainly light.
A weak storm system tracking west to east across the state combined with cold air to produce a prolonged period of light snow and light freezing rain. Many location experienced enough icing to cause accidents.
A weak upper level trough, combined with a back door cold front and abundant moisture, set the stage for heavy snow across much of central and eastern New Mexico.
A warm front lifted slowly north across eastern North Carolina on December 16th 2010. A light wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain developed during the morning hours over eastern North Carolina just north of the warm front.
The first widespread measurable but overall light snow of the winter season came at an unfortunate time during the afternoon of the 16th in Delaware. Accumulations averaged one to two inches in Sussex County and around one inch in Kent and New Castle Counties.
A storm system moving through the region produced an initial burst of two to four inches at several locations. As warmer air moved into the region, freezing rain followed the snowfall, resulting in a quarter to half of an inch of icing at most locations.
Low pressure moving across the Mid Atlantic region and off the coast produced between one and four inches of snow across portions of central and eastern Virginia during Thursday, December 16th.
An area of low pressure tracking through the area on the 15-16th produced freezing rain over southwest Virginia during the overnight hours of the 15th, into the morning hours of the 16th. Roads were glazed with 0.25 inches of ice.
Slippery roads from several inches of lake effect snow contributed to numerous car accidents across Gogebic County on the 16th.
Freezing drizzle caused major travel impacts and numerous accidents around the Missouri Ozarks. There were a few fatalities associated with car accidents which were indirectly caused by the icy road conditions.
On the evening of December 16 into the early morning of December 17, light freezing rain and freezing drizzle fell across portions of central Indiana, including the Indianapolis Metro Area. A glaze of ice formed on area roads and caused hundreds of accidents.
A long duration snowstorm that was comprised of two rounds of snow affected southern WI during the afternoon and evening on Dec. 16th and again on Dec. 17th. The first round of snow was associated with relatively mild and moist air moving into the mid levels of the atmosphere.
During the morning dense freezing fog, with visibilities of a quarter mile or less and slick conditions on I-70, led to a multiple vehicle accident and two fatalities near Mingo. Another accident occurred south of Oakley on Highway 83.
An approaching warm front spread wintry precipitation across central Illinois from the early afternoon of December 16th through the afternoon of the 17th.
Freezing drizzle caused major travel impacts and numerous accidents across southeast Kansas.
A couple of rounds of mixed wintry precipitation impacted southwest and central Missouri. Round 1 occurred December 15 and round 2 December 16. Storm totals snows were generally 2 to 3 inches of snow from Lebanon to Rolla, Missouri.
An area of low pressure tracked northward off the East Coast toward New York City on Wednesday, December 16, then eastward to just off Cape Cod on Thursday, December 17.
An early-season Nor'Easter produced anywhere from 6 inches of snow and sleet in the Lower Susquehanna Valley up to 30 inches of snow in parts of Tioga County.
A Nor'easter moved slowly up the US eastern coastline on the afternoon of the 16th through the 17th. The storm system produced very heavy snowfall across parts of Central New York and Northeast Pennsylvania, particularly during the very early morning hours of the 17th.
A Nor'easter developed right along the Carolina coast during the afternoon of December 16th and slowly moved north along the New Jersey coast by the morning of December 17th before shifting east out to sea.
5 on December 16, oldest first.
A strong cold front moved across the area the afternoon of December 16 bringing in a blast of Arctic air. Temperatures by 900 pm on the 16th had dropped into the single digits with wind chill values down to 30 below zero.
A house was destroyed by a fire started by lightning.
The winter of 2009–2010 in Europe was unusually cold. Globally, unusual weather patterns brought cold, moist air from the north.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
High pressure moved over northern Arizona in the wake of a strong cold front. The combination of cold dry air, low humidity, and no wind allowed temperatures to plummet.
A man and his dog were found deceased in a cabin in the Saginaw area. Authorities determined that the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator running inside the cabin.
12 on December 16, oldest first.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on December 16, 1993, in Collier County, Florida, and burned 520 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Christmas Fire was discovered on December 16, 1999, in Sweet Grass County, Montana, and burned 4,400 acres; the cause was recorded as power generation/transmission/distribution.
The Pittman Fire was discovered on December 16, 1999, in South Dakota, and burned 1,275 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Lawrence Burke Fire was discovered on December 16, 1999, in South Dakota, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as power generation/transmission/distribution.
The Fakahatche Fire was discovered on December 16, 2000, in Florida, and burned 3,000 acres.
Windows of car were blown out at Cajon Pass, and power lines and trees were blown down at Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear City. A tractor-trailer was blown over west of Phelan and a motorhome was blown over in Hesperia. Visibility was reduced to zero in blowing dust in Phelan.
The High Plains - 1 Fire was discovered on December 16, 2003, in Randall County, Texas, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Curly Horse Fire was discovered on December 16, 2006, in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, and burned 1,565 acres; the cause was recorded as smoking.
The Normandy Fire was discovered on December 16, 2010, in Duval County, Florida, and burned 2,258 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Green Baca Fire was reported on December 16, 2016, in Oldham County, Texas, and burned 6,493 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Carson 1059 Fire was reported on December 16, 2016, in Carson County, Texas, and burned 5,128 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Optima Fire was reported on December 16, 2016, in Texas County, Oklahoma, and burned 4,769 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
22 on December 16, oldest first.
A magnitude 8.5 earthquake struck Valdivia, Chile. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 1,321 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Naples (Napoli), Italy. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 4,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Jiangsu Province, China. It killed few people (about 1 to 50).
An earthquake struck Qazvin-Taleqan, Iran. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Northeast (New Madrid Earthquakes), Arkansas, United States. It killed few people (about 1 to 50) and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Northeast (New Madrid Earthquakes), Arkansas, United States. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Banda Sea, Indonesia. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Campania, Potenza, Italy. It killed 10,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Yunnan Province, China. It killed 2,000 people, injured 3,000 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Andizhan, Uzbekistan. It killed 4,880 people, destroyed 41,704 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Talaud Islands, Indonesia.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Near Coast of Guerrero, Mexico.
A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck Gansu Province, Shanxi Province, China. It killed 235,502 people and did $25 million in damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Taiwan. It killed 319 people and destroyed 1,768 houses.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Dixie Valley, Nevada, United States.
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Labuhan, Menes, Ponorogo, Java, Indonesia. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Fiji Islands. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Northeastern, Afghanistan. It killed 500 people, injured 3,000 and did $1 million in damage.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Rivas, Masaya, Nicaragua. It injured 6.
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Jima, Hosa'Ina, Shenk'Ola, Wenjela, Ethiopia.
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Hubei Province, China. It did $6.3 million in damage.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Yibin, Sichuan, China. It injured 17, destroyed 15 houses and did $7.3 million in damage.
4 on December 16, oldest first.
Vesuvius, Italy erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 5. It killed 4,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage. The eruption caused a tsunami and was accompanied by an earthquake.
In December 1631, Mount Vesuvius, a major stratovolcano in Southern Italy, erupted. The eruption resulted in at least 4,000 fatalities, making it the deadliest eruption of Vesuvius since 79 AD
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Hōei eruption of Mount Fuji started on December 16, 1707 and ended on February 24, 1708. It was the last confirmed eruption of Mount Fuji, with three unconfirmed eruptions reported from 1708 to 1854.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Fujisan, Japan erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 4. It killed few people (about 1 to 50) and destroyed 75 houses. The eruption was accompanied by an earthquake.
8 on December 16, oldest first.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.5 earthquake struck Southern Chile. It killed 1,321 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake and landslide struck NE - New Madrid Earthquakes, Ar, United States. It killed few people (about 1 to 50) and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8 earthquake struck NE - New Madrid Earthquakes, Ar, United States.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6 earthquake struck Banda Sea, Indonesia, with a maximum water height of 1.5 meters.
A tsunami struck Livorno, Italy.
A tsunami with a source recorded as meteorological struck SW England, United Kingdom, with a maximum water height of 9 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Java, Indonesia.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake and landslide struck Fiji Islands, with a maximum water height of 0.25 meters.
1 on December 16, oldest first.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began December 16, 1944, reached Kp 8+ and lasted 39 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 83; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 43 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
1 on December 16, oldest first.
A flooding disaster that cost $1.3 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 5, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from December 16, 2023 to December 18, 2023.
8 on December 16, oldest first.
In the city of Modesto (Stanislaus county), a man died when his pick-up collided with a double tractor-trailer in the poor visibility.
Lightning sparked a fire which completely destroyed the interior of the Berrien Press building. Reported by the Berrien Press.
Patchy, but locally dense, fog formed over Mobile Bay during the early morning hours. The fog sharply reduced visibilities along sections of the Interstate 10 Bayway, just east of the George Wallace Tunnel.
In a favorable environment, morning fog developed over a 3-day period from the 16th through the 18th. The morning of the 18th had the worst fog with law enforcement reporting visibility as low as 75 feet on area highways.
A strong low northwest of the state caused surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 15 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, and Oahu.
A landslide occurred in the early hours of 16 December 2022 near the Malaysian town of Batang Kali, Selangor, displacing 450,000 m3 (16 million cu ft) of soil and burying campsites at an organic farm. The accident trapped 92 people under the collapsed slope; most were campers from the farm.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dense fog near Brigham City was reported the morning of a vehicle crash that killed one.
Dense Fog in the Central Willamette Valley contributed to a aircraft accident. A small plane struck power pole and power lines near Independence, Oregon and crashed just outside airport grounds, killing all three people onboard.
Gathered from this site’s archives: the tornado record (NOAA SPC, and Grazulis before 1950), IBTrACS and the National Hurricane Center, NOAA NCEI’s Storm Events Database, Regional Snowfall Index, billion-dollar disasters list, State Climate Extremes Committee and hazard databases, USGS, NIFC, GFZ Potsdam’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0), the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, and Wikidata (CC0), with article leads from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0, each credited where it appears. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.