Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for December 21, 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.
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of December 21, 2022 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from December 21, 2022 to December 26, 2022.
Billion-dollar disasters
A winter storm disaster that cost $9.0 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 87, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from December 21, 2022 to December 26, 2022.
Volcanoes
The 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami occurred on 22 December 2018 at around 21:38 local time after large parts of the southwestern side of Anak Krakatoa collapsed onto its caldera. The landslide spawned a tsunami wave that struck multiple coastal regions in Banten and Lampung, including the tourist destination of Anyer.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Billion-dollar disasters
A winter storm disaster that cost $1.7 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 100, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from December 21, 1989 to December 26, 1989.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Yunnan Province, China. It killed 942 people, injured 112 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Earthquakes
An earthquake struck Lisbon, Portugal. It killed 300 people. It caused a tsunami.
Tsunamis
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck SW Portugal. It killed 300 people.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Washington, Iron counties, Missouri and tracked 27.9 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 52.
Winter storms and snow
From December 21 to 26, 2022, an extratropical cyclone, referred to unofficially as Winter Storm Elliott by the Weather Channel and numerous media outlets, and sometimes dubbed The Blizzard of the Century and the 2022 Buffalo blizzard in New York State, created crippling winter storm conditions, including blizzards, high winds, snowfall, and record cold temperatures across the majority of the United States and parts of Canada. Impacted areas included parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin,…
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of December 21, 1918 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the South. It lasted from December 21, 1918 to December 26, 1918.
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of December 21, 2008 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from December 21, 2008 to December 23, 2008.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Bruce reached its peak of 140 kt (160 mph) with a central pressure of 918 mb, a category 5 storm.
38 on December 21, oldest first.
An F4 tornado touched down in Washington, Iron counties, Missouri and tracked 27.9 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 52.
An F3 tornado touched down in Perry, Randolph, Perry counties, Missouri and tracked 29.8 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 15.
An F3 tornado touched down in Grant County, Indiana and tracked 0.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
An F3 tornado touched down in Hunt County, Texas and tracked 0.1 miles, 33 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Blackford County, Indiana and tracked 0.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F2 tornado touched down in Prentiss County, Mississippi and tracked 0.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 1.
An F3 tornado touched down in Holmes, Carroll counties, Mississippi and tracked 20 miles, 880 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 15.
An F3 tornado touched down in Grenada County, Mississippi and tracked 3.5 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Tensas Parish, Louisiana and tracked 18 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Madison County, Mississippi and tracked 11 miles, 880 yards wide at its widest.
26 tornadoes were recorded on December 21, 1990, in Louisiana, Mississippi. They killed 2 people.
An F1 tornado touched down in Humphreys County, Mississippi and tracked 5 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
Thunderstorms in advance of a strong low pressure trough, spawned a tornado that briefly touched down off of Huntington Beach, and moved onshore, crossing Highway 1, into Huntington Harbor.
A series of storm systems, part of a large Atmospheric River type of pattern, impacted the area during late December 2012. From the 21st through 26th of December, heavy rain, gusty winds, flooding, and mudslides occurred across the Bay Area in these consecutive events.
A deep trough embedded within the southern stream of the jet combined with unseasonably rich moisture to bring widespread flooding and a regional severe weather outbreak to the Lower Ohio Valley during the afternoon and evening of December 21st.
An EF2 tornado touched down in St. Francis County, Arkansas and tracked 15.57 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 3.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Coahoma County, Mississippi and tracked 10.07 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 2.
A potent upper level disturbance moved out of the East Texas while a surface low pressure system tracked from Arkansas along a stalled front. Moist and unstable air moved into the Mid-South in advance of the stalled front and the developing low pressure system.
Heavy rain developed along a stalled front across Northeast Arkansas early in the day causing flash flooding. As the day progressed a potent upper level disturbance moved out of the East Texas while a surface low pressure system tracked from Arkansas along the stalled front.
A vigorous upper level trough moved out of old Mexico and ejected out in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle during the late morning hours of Saturday, December 21st.
A squall line took shape across west-central Louisiana early to mid afternoon on the 21st. The squall line gradually moved to the east with some strong storms and embedded supercells developing in the ArkLaMiss Delta.
A surface low pressure system deepened as it moved northeast across western Tennessee, reaching the Lower Ohio Valley in the evening. A strong, negatively tilted shortwave at 500 mb ejected northeast from the southern Plains, providing strong forcing for ascent.
As a cold front approached the region, thunderstorms became severe, some of which produced weak tornadoes in Tyler and Jasper counties.
A line of strong storms along a cold front pushed across the region producing two tornadoes.
A low pressure formed in the Gulf of Mexico along with a cold front. These two features pushed across the state as it started to deepen. This caused high winds and spawned a tornado in West Central Florida.
6 on December 21, oldest first.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Tracy was a small but destructive tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia, in December 1974. The small but developing easterly storm was originally expected to pass clear of the city, but it turned towards it early on 24 December.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hurricane Laurence reached its peak of 130 kt (150 mph) with a central pressure of 926 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Bruce reached its peak of 140 kt (160 mph) with a central pressure of 918 mb, a category 5 storm.
Hurricane Amara reached its peak of 130 kt (150 mph) with a central pressure of 926 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Cilida reached its peak of 135 kt (155 mph) with a central pressure of 925 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Darian reached its peak of 135 kt (155 mph) with a central pressure of 927 mb, a category 4 storm.
21 on December 21, oldest first.
The Withlacoochee River in Dade City crested at 16 feet, four feet above flood stage and flooded several homes including the Withlacoochee RV park and Canoe Rental.
A 19 year old male was at a family picnic along Blanco River in Naguabo, when a sudden water rush swept him away.
A powerful storm in the East Pacific generated very large swells that later impacted the Southern California coastline for two days. The swell arrived in Southern California on the morning of the 21st and peaked that afternoon with sets reaching 20 feet high.
Slow moving storms dropped heavy rain across parts of southeast Mississippi.
A series of storms fueled by a tropical moisture tap pounded the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin for several days. Extremely heavy snow and widespread flooding resulted.
A deep low pressure system tracked across the Lower Great Lakes northeastward into the St. Lawrence Valley from the evening of the 20th into the daytime of the 21st.
A rapidly deepening low pressure system moved northeast from western North Carolina into eastern Pennsylvania from the evening of December 20th, into the morning of December 21st.
A rapidly deepening low pressure system moved northeast from western North Carolina into eastern Pennsylvania from the evening of December 20th, into the morning of December 21st.
A storm system moved into the Ohio Valley from the plains over the weekend of the 22nd, bringing heavy rain and severe storms to central and northern Ohio.
Heavy rainfall shortly before Christmas caused sharp rises on regional rivers. The heavy rainfall was caused by a slow-moving cold front that passed across the Lower Ohio and Mid Mississippi Valleys between the 20th and 22nd.
A front stalled out just southeast of central Indiana on December 20-21. Waves of low pressure rode along the front, generating rain across the area. With tropical moisture moving into the system, heavy rain occurred across parts of central Indiana.
A slow-moving cold front passed across the region between the 20th and 22nd. Several upper level disturbances moved north-northeast along the front, touching off numerous showers and thunderstorms.
Low pressure drew an unseasonably warm and moist air mass across the region. Convection organized ahead of the low and brought heavy rainfall and damaging winds to the area from the evening of the 21st into the morning of the 22nd.
A slow-moving cold front passed across the region between the 20th and 22nd. Several upper level disturbances moved north-northeast along the front, touching off numerous showers and thunderstorms.
A surface front stalled across the region acted as a pathway for periods of heavy precipitation. Rainfall amounts of 1.5 to 3.0 inches fell across the Niagara Frontier and parts of the Genesee Valley and Finger Lakes. The heavy rain combined with snowmelt to produce flooding.
Low pressure drew an unseasonably warm and moist air mass across the region. Convection organized ahead of the low and brought heavy rainfall and damaging winds to the area from the evening of the 21st into the morning of the 22nd.
A slow-moving cold front passed across the region between the 20th and 22nd. Several upper level disturbances moved north-northeast along the front, touching off numerous showers and thunderstorms.
A storm passing west of Massachusetts brought strong to damaging south winds to Central and Eastern Massachusetts on Friday December 21. The same storm also brought one to four inches of rain.
A stretch of cold weather resulted in a freeze up ice jam on Willow Creek in the MatSu Borough.
A series of atmospheric rivers brought moderate to heavy precipitation to interior northern California in the third week of December through the Christmas holiday. A Convergence Zone set up over Redding/Shasta County around 1 PM on Sunday, December 21.
A series of storm systems impacted the Bay Area and Central Coast from December 19 to 25th, impacting Christmas holiday travel across the region. The most impactful systems arrived on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
13 on December 21, oldest first.
The Inyo County Sheriff reported two tractor-trailer trucks and a motor home blown over by very strong winds in the Owens Valley. This forced a closure of state highway 395 near Olancha for a few hours.
A strong high pressure inland and a low offshore created strong neasterly downslope wind in the Oakland and Contra Costa Co. hills. A strong offshore gradient created high downslope winds in the Oakland hills area.
A low moved northward from the Southern Gulf of Alaska up into Prince William Sound during this time. The associated frontal system swept through the Panhandle and generated widespread high south-southeast winds.
A warm front moved through Southern New England resulting in increased moisture and lift. This produced thunderstorms across the area, including northern Connecticut, Rhode Island, and the coastal waters.
A strong cold front approached from the west and moved across the area. High winds occurred across portions of New York City, resulting in localized damage.
Windy conditions prevailed across the entire region ahead of an approaching low pressure system.
A large and intense squall line moved across Middle Tennessee during the evening hours on December 21 and early morning hours on December 22, producing widespread wind damage in nearly every county of Middle Tennessee.
A vigorous upper level trough moved out of old Mexico and ejected out in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle during the late morning hours of Saturday, December 21st.
High winds impacted Northwest Oregon as a 980 millibar low moved onshore in Pacific County, Washington. The winds resulted in widespread tree damage and power outages.
High winds impacted Southwest Washington as a 980 millibar low moved onshore in Pacific County. The winds resulted in widespread tree damage and power outages.
Intensifying low pressure moving up the spine of the Applachians on December 21st and into southern Quebec the morning of the 22nd produced strong southeast winds.
A new winter system moved into the Idaho Panhandle as a trough dropped into the Pacific Northwest on December 21st. With the accompanying atmospheric river, this system had substantial moisture with it bringing a wet and windy day ahead.
Strong non-thunderstorm wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph occurred across portions of east central Florida during the late morning and early afternoon hours on December 21st as a low pressure area moved across central Florida.
51 on December 21, oldest first.
Snowstorm of December 21, 1918 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the South. It lasted from December 21, 1918 to December 26, 1918.
Snowstorm of December 21, 1963 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the South. It lasted from December 21, 1963 to December 24, 1963.
Snowstorm of December 21, 1987 was ranked category 3, Major, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northern Rockies and Plains. It lasted from December 21, 1987 to December 30, 1987.
A powerful winter storm pummeled the Mono County area with heavy snow. The most noteworthy snowfall accumulations were from early Saturday morning (21st) to late Saturday afternoon and also from late Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.
A series of heavy snow events produced totals of 15 to 30 inches across eastern and central New Mexico just before Christmas.
Freezing rain deposited one-fourth to one-half inches of glaze along interstate 35 east of Emporia and also near the Nebraska border. Other areas received somewhat less accumulations. The ice on the roads resulted in mostly minor accidents.
A steady light freezing rain the morning of the 21st left a slippery glaze of ice on area roads and sidewalks. Travel was treacherous on the ice covered roads. The slippery driving conditions were blamed for a two-vehicle collision near Cawker City.
An upper level low pressure system moved into the southern Rockies and advanced northeast into the midwest. As is often the case during an El Nino winter, there was little cold air in place over Iowa.
A steady light freezing rain covered area roads with a layer of ice, resulting in several accidents into early Monday morning. The slick roads may have played a role in a two-vehicle crash near Bruning the morning of the 21st. One person died in the accident.
Strong southeasterly winds blew across the Gulf of Alaska Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of a moderate front. While wind gusts were generally 40 to 60 mph ahead of the front, reports of stronger winds were received.
Light freezing rain that fell early in the morning left roads slick. This lead to at least 7 accidents over a period of 5 hours near the town of Madras. The most serious accident was a rollover on Highway 97 near High Bridge that injured several people.
Deep snow cover was in place over Iowa. Though no new snow fell during the day on the 21st, a strong push of cold air moved into the state during the afternoon.
A Pacific storm moved through the central Sierra and western Nevada. This moist system dropped over a foot of snow in the Sierra and freezing rain in parts of western Nevada.
An avalanche occurred in a closed section of the Snowmass Ski Area and resulted in the death of a 25 year old male.
Snowstorm of December 21, 2008 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from December 21, 2008 to December 23, 2008.
An arctic cold front swept through northern Indiana early on December 21st. Strong west winds of 20 to 35 mph, combined with lake-effect snow showers created reduced visibilities and blowing snow. This led to icy road conditions.
On the second day of the Dec 20-21 weekend, a Pacific frontal system moved onshore, bringing more snow to much of western Washington.
The 4th major winter storm of the 2008-09 winter season affected all of south-central and southeast Wisconsin. While this storm featured only 2 to 5 inches of new, dry snow, the snow was combined with strong west winds occasionally gusting to 30 to 38 knots (35 to 44 mph).
An area of low pressure tracked through the Mid-Atlantic on the morning of the 21st allowing for precipitation to develop over Maryland.
Arctic air filtered into southwest lower Michigan behind a strong cold front early on December 21st.
A wintry mix of precipitation fell during the first half of the day into the early afternoon on the 21st across most of New Jersey. Along the immediate shore, precipitation fell as plain rain.
A strong area of low pressure passed to the north of Lake Erie during the morning hours of December 21st. A strong cold front trailing this low swept east across Northwest Pennsylvania.
A strong area of low pressure passed to the north of Lake Erie during the morning hours of December 21st. A strong cold front trailing this low swept east across Northeast Ohio.
A strong upper atmospheric low pressure system moved from south central Canada to the Great Lakes during the night of December 20th into the morning of December 21st.
Another winter storm arrived in Central California on the 21st, bringing another round of rain and mountain snow to the region. SNOTEL observations in the Southern Sierra Nevada indicated that between one and two feet of snow fell over the higher elevations on the 21st and 22nd.
The season's most severe lake effect event to date followed the passage of a sharp front early on Sunday the 21st.
A strong upper atmospheric low pressure system moved from south central Canada to the Great Lakes during the night of December 20th into the morning of December 21st.
Clear skies and light winds allowed fog to develop during the early morning hours of December 21st, 2009. Temperatures dropped slightly below freezing shortly before sunrise resulting in freezing fog. Numerous car accidents occurred from the freezing fog.
A storm system moved through central Wyoming bringing heavy snow to Casper Mountain and the Wind River Range and adjacent foothills. Two feet of snow fell on Casper Mountain with up to eight inches southeast of Casper.
A winter storm system dropped south out of Canada and brought accumulating snow and gusty north winds to portions of North Central Wyoming.
A strong, complex, dual area of low pressure from the Great Lakes to the New Jersey coast on the morning of December 21st eventually lifted north across New York into Quebec by December 22nd.
Strong, cold low pressure remained over the northeast Pacific from the 21st through early on the 24th bringing heavy snow to eastern California.
A low pressure system tracked northeast out of the Plains, and underwent rapid deepening as it passed north of Lake Erie on December 21st.
A low pressure system tracked northeast out of the Plains, and underwent rapid deepening as it passed north of Lake Erie on December 21st.
The next storm consisted of two components. The first reached California on December 22nd, with only a brief pause in the precipitation before the second component arrived.
Low pressure moved across the upper Great Lakes to New England. The winter storm brought heavy snow to the higher elevations of the western southern tier and eastern Lake Ontario region.
Strong, cold low pressure remained over the northeast Pacific from the 21st through early on the 24th bringing heavy snow to the Sierra along with snow and strong wind for far western Nevada.
A winter storm impacted a large swath of the country from the southern Plains through the Midwest and into the Northeast on the last weekend before Christmas.
An Ice Storm affected portions of Southern Lower Michigan from December 21-22. Ice accumulations of one half to three quarters of an inch occurred across much of Barry, Eaton, Clinton, Ingham, and northern Calhoun and Jackson counties.
In 2013, a significant winter storm affected Oklahoma and western north Texas from December 20th to the 22nd. This storm brought significant amounts of ice to much of central and southwest Oklahoma, while dumping up to six inches of snow across northwest Oklahoma. Up to three-quarters of an inch of ice accumulated over Canadian and Caddo Counties, around Fort Cobb and El Reno. The rest of central and southwest Oklahoma, and adjacent parts of north Texas, saw between one-quarter and one-half inch. The ice brought down numerous tree limbs and resulted in brief power disruptions. The highest snow totals were seen around Laverne, Rosston, and Buffalo.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
Early on the morning of Saturday, December 21, 2013 an area of light to moderate rain moved northward into eastern Kansas and western Missouri. At the time of the rain surface temperatures were in the middle to upper 20s.
A major winter storm affected the State of Maine from December 21st, 2013, through January 6th,, 2014.
A surface front stalled across the region acted as a pathway for periods of heavy precipitation. South of the front, rain fell however to the north the precipitation fell as freezing rain. Ice coated trees, power lines and all exposed surfaces.
During the day freezing drizzle moved through, coating surfaces with a few hundredths of an inch of ice. The icy roads lead to numerous slide offs, rollovers, and accidents. There were two injury accidents, one in Sherman County and one in Thomas County.
A much cooler pattern began to setup over the Pacific Northwest towards the end of December.
Snowstorm of December 21, 2022 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from December 21, 2022 to December 26, 2022.
From December 21 to 26, 2022, an extratropical cyclone, referred to unofficially as Winter Storm Elliott by the Weather Channel and numerous media outlets, and sometimes dubbed The Blizzard of the Century and the 2022 Buffalo blizzard in New York State, created crippling winter storm conditions, including blizzards, high winds, snowfall, and record cold temperatures across the majority of the United States and parts of Canada. Impacted areas included parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin,…
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
On December 21st, 2022, freezing drizzle and mist developed especially in the afternoon and evening hours which resulted in several vehicular accidents in north central and south central Kansas.
A storm brought an extended period of hazardous winter weather to western Wisconsin ahead of the Christmas holiday. Periods of snow fell from December 21st into the 23rd.
A low pressure system across the central Plains tracked northeast towards the western Great Lakes on Wednesday (12/21). The low tracked through the western Great Lakes during the morning hours on Thursday (12/22), bringing a cold front through Wisconsin.
Dense fog impacted a number of locations in western Montana, leading to black ice on roadways and impacts at area airports.
10 on December 21, oldest first.
On this date in 1916, the low temperature at Kenton Oklahoma was minus 17 degrees. This was the coldest temperature for Oklahoma that year.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
An unseasonably cold airmass produced a three-night period of sub-freezing temperatures across Central and Southern California. Agricultural interests suffered heavy crop losses.
Bitterly cold arctic air swept over the state, bringing sub-zero readings to most areas. The extreme cold caused quite a few problems with frozen pipes.
Though the worst of the snow was over, the worst of the cold was just beginning. Temperatures never got out of single digits on the 22nd, with Detroit seeing a high of only 4 degrees, after a morning low of 3 below zero.
Very cold air spread across northern Illinois starting on December 21st and continuing through December 25th. Low temperatures dropped to 5 below to 10 below zero on the 21st and 22nd, and were in the low single digits on the 23rd, 24th and 25th.
Yet another bitter cold air mass pushed across southern Wisconsin in the wake of a winter storm. West winds of 13 to 17 knots (15 to 20 mph) with gusts to 26 to 35 knots (30 to 40 mph) generated wind chills of -20 to -34.
A bitter cold snap claimed the life of a Greene county woman.
This was a two day subset of a prolonged cold snap across North Dakota. Temperatures on the 21st at Garrison ranged from a high of ten below zero to a low of 21 below. On the 22nd the low was 25 below.
Arctic air began moving across the Upper Midwest on Dec 21-22 following the snow. Winds increased from west to east across the forecast area, creating dangerously cold wind chills of -30 to -48 F.
A powerful arctic outbreak brought some of the coldest temperatures to northeast Colorado in nearly 30 years. The arctic outbreak impacted the Rockies, the Midwest, Northeast, and Southern United States.
3 on December 21, oldest first.
Hawley Lake recorded 91 inches, Arizona’s all-time maximum snow depth, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
Dagget Pass recorded 36 inches, Nevada’s all-time maximum 24-hour snowfall, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
Dalton recorded 27 inches, Nebraska’s all-time maximum 24-hour snowfall, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
9 on December 21, oldest first.
Strong Santa Ana winds hit Southwestern California on the evening of 12/21 and lasted through most of the following day. Widespread power and phone outages occurred from falling trees knocking down lines and snapped poles.
The Ranch Fire was discovered on December 21, 1999, in California, and burned 4,371 acres; the cause was recorded as fireworks.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on December 21, 2001, in Tennessee, and burned 730 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Wilkins Ranch Fire was discovered on December 21, 2007, in Crockett County, Texas, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on December 21, 2007, in Wilson County, Texas, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Burnt Island Fire was discovered on December 21, 2010, in Alachua County, Florida, and burned 2,616 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Cane Fire was reported on December 21, 2017, in Kenedy County, Texas, and burned 14,240 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Loran Fire was reported on December 21, 2025, in Rapides County, Louisiana, and burned 1,790 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Sassafras Fire was reported on December 21, 2025, in Latimer County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,280 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
19 on December 21, oldest first.
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Baoshan, Yunnan Province, China. It killed 10 people.
An earthquake struck Illana Bay, Mindanao, Philippines.
An earthquake struck Oaxaca, Mexico. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Lisbon, Portugal. It killed 300 people. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Purisima, California, United States. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 1 person.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Ljubljana, Slovenia, Balkans NW.
An earthquake struck Faial, Azores.
An earthquake struck New Haven, Connecticut, United States. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Yunnan Province, China. It killed 942 people, injured 112 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 8 earthquake struck Kalo,luwuk,sula I, Centrtal Sulawesi, Indonesia. It caused a tsunami.
An earthquake struck Denizli, Burdur, Turkey. It killed 7 people.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Yunnan Province, China. It destroyed 29,890 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Humboldt County, California, United States. It killed 1 person and did $2.1 million in damage.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Northern, Chile. It killed 1 person. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Vanuatu Islands.
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Edhessa, Kilkis, Greece. It killed 1 person and injured 60.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Pandeglang, W Jawa, SE Sumatera, Indonesia. It killed 5 people, injured 220 and did $3.9 million in damage.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Bonin Islands, Japan. It caused a tsunami.
1 on December 21, oldest first.
The 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami occurred on 22 December 2018 at around 21:38 local time after large parts of the southwestern side of Anak Krakatoa collapsed onto its caldera. The landslide spawned a tsunami wave that struck multiple coastal regions in Banten and Lampung, including the tourist destination of Anyer.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
9 on December 21, oldest first.
A tsunami struck Azores, Portugal, with a maximum water height of 9 meters. It injured 50.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck SW Portugal. It killed 300 people.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake and landslide struck S. California, United States, with a maximum water height of 3.4 meters. It killed 1 person.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck New Haven, CT, United States, with a maximum water height of 2.4 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8 earthquake struck N. Moluccas Islands, Indonesia.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Gansu and Shanxi Provinces, China, with a maximum water height of 2 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, AK, United States.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Northern Chile. It killed 1 person.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Bonin Islands, Japan, with a maximum water height of 0.15 meters.
1 on December 21, oldest first.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began December 21, 1982, reached Kp 7- and lasted 15 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 42; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 52 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
2 on December 21, oldest first.
A winter storm disaster that cost $1.7 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 100, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from December 21, 1989 to December 26, 1989.
A winter storm disaster that cost $9.0 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 87, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from December 21, 2022 to December 26, 2022.
8 on December 21, oldest first.
Deep storm low that moved from near the dateline far northwest of the Hawaiian Islands to the Gulf of Alaska produced surf of 10 to 15 feet on north facing shores and 12 to 18 feet on west shores of all the islands.
Large, long period north swells affected the Atlantic coastal waters and the caribbean passages. These swell resulted in rough and hazardous marine conditions between December 23-25. One surfer drowned due to strong rip current and dangerous surf conditions.
Slick roads caused by heavy rain resulted in 2 fatalities in Dallas. Lightning started a fire at a gas well in Somervell County.
Isolated thunderstorms associated with a stalled boundary across the region produced a few thunderstorms across the Bay Area. One of which produced a lightning strike near Raymond James Stadium shortly after the conclusion of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football game.
Two men and one woman decided to jump into Lake Michigan near North Avenue Beach in Chicago just before 8 am on December 21st. The water temperature was 38 degrees and waves were estimated around 6 feet with north winds to 30 knots.
Areas of dense fog reformed in the San Joaquin Valley during the evening of December 21. The fog was responsible for a two vehicle accident near Porterville in which the driver of one of the vehicles was killed during the early morning of December 22.
A fatal accident occurred on Fillmore County Road 4 near the intersection with Fillmore County Road 38 on December 21st in Sumner Township (Fillmore County). Nearby weather observation stations reported surface visibilities as low as 3/4 statute miles.
Dense fog contributed to several crashes on interstate 86 near mile marker 55 west of Pocatello. Nine crashes occurred in both the east and west bound lanes at around 930 AM and the interstate didn't re open until 345 PM.
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.