Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for December 23, 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 6.2 earthquake struck Managua, Nicaragua. It killed 10,000 people, injured 20,000 and did $3 billion in damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Quchan, Iran. It killed 2,000 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck Enshunada Sea, Japan. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 1,000 people, destroyed 8,900 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck Enshunada Sea, Japan, with a maximum water height of 21 meters. It killed 1,000 people, destroyed 8,900 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Tornadoes
An EF4 tornado touched down in Tate, Marshall, Benton counties, Mississippi and tracked 75.09 miles, 1,300 yards wide at its widest, killing 9 and injuring 36.
Billion-dollar disasters
A freeze disaster that cost $5.2 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 10, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from December 23, 1989 to December 25, 1989.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Faxai reached its peak of 155 kt (180 mph) with a central pressure of 879 mb, a category 5 storm.
Winter storms and snow
A historic lake effect blizzard occurred northeast of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario during the Christmas holiday weekend.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Crittenden, Tipton counties, Arkansas and tracked 16.6 miles, 170 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 60. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Clarkedale, AR.
Tornadoes
An EF3 tornado touched down in Marion County, Mississippi and tracked 12.51 miles, 880 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 50.
Tornadoes
Strong surface low pressure tracked from the Plains into the Mississippi River Valley while a strong cold front pushed into the Mid-South on December 23, 2015.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 27 people, injured 8 and destroyed 104 houses.
45 on December 23, oldest first.
An F3 tornado touched down in Crittenden, Tipton counties, Arkansas and tracked 16.6 miles, 170 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 60. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Clarkedale, AR.
An F2 tornado touched down in Coahoma, Quitman counties, Mississippi and tracked 15.4 miles, killing 5 and injuring 60. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Jonestown/Marks, MS.
An F3 tornado touched down in Hot Spring County, Arkansas and tracked 20 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 29.
An F3 tornado touched down in Saline County, Arkansas and tracked 14 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest.
This storm began over the ocean as a water spout that moved in land. It distroyed a large barn and 1o large eucalytus trees, and 5 telephone poles. It also ripped the roof off another house. Afarmer was in the barn when it was blown over but he was not injured.
This December 23rd tornado and severe thunderstorm outbreak developed as a strong upper level low pressure system moved out of the southwestern U.S. and off to the east and northeast across the state of Texas.
Severe thunderstorm winds knocked down power poles and caused power outages in the Austin-Bergstrom Airport Area.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Angelina County, Texas and tracked 4.06 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
A strong upper level storm system moved its way out of the southern Great Basin and into the Southern Plains during the afternoon hours of December 23rd.
A strong upper level storm system moved its way out of the southern Great Basin and into the Southern Plains during the afternoon hours of December 23rd.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Marion County, Mississippi and tracked 12.51 miles, 880 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 50.
During the afternoon of Dec 23, just enough ingredients came together to support numerous severe storms ahead of a cold front. Across the Lower Mississippi River Valley, peak heating contributed to decent instability in the developing warm sector in advance of the front.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Jones County, Mississippi and tracked 5.89 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest, killing 2.
Strong low pressure developed over southern Texas and moved toward northern Mississippi during the daytime hours. The associated cold front moved through an unstable airmass, triggering scattered thunderstorms across southern Mississippi and southeast Louisiana.
An EF4 tornado touched down in Tate, Marshall, Benton counties, Mississippi and tracked 75.09 miles, 1,300 yards wide at its widest, killing 9 and injuring 36.
Strong surface low pressure tracked from the Plains into the Mississippi River Valley while a strong cold front pushed into the Mid-South on December 23, 2015.
31 tornadoes were recorded on December 23, 2015, in South Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio and more, 1 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 13 people.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Coahoma, Bolivar, Quitman counties, Mississippi and tracked 61.57 miles, 800 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 28.
An unusually powerful upper level trough moved across the eastern United States on December 23, 2015, spawning widespread severe weather from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Wayne, Lawrence, Lewis counties, Tennessee and tracked 48.38 miles, 800 yards wide at its widest, injuring 7.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Perry, Hickman counties, Tennessee and tracked 14.92 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 2.
A strong storm system and cold front approached the state from the west, with showers and thunderstorms developing during the early morning hours west of Arkansas.
On the evening of December 23, 2015, a large, violent, and deadly late-season tornado impacted the communities of Chulahoma, Holly Springs, Ashland in Mississippi and Selmer in Tennessee. This tornado resulted in nine fatalities and 36 injuries.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Strong surface low pressure tracked from the Plains into the Mississippi River Valley while a strong cold front pushed into the Mid-South on December 23, 2015.
Thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front during the afternoon of December 23rd. These storms brought a few tornadoes, straight-line damaging wind reports, and heavy rainfall.
A squall line developed ahead of an ejecting upper system over the lower Ohio Valley and raced northeast into the region. A second squall line developed and trailed the first one by an hour or so.
A fast-moving line of severe storms moved east across southern Illinois, accompanied by locally damaging winds and isolated tornadoes. A few bowing segments along the line produced damaging winds.
A strong low pressure system tracking from the southern Plains into the Upper Great Lakes brought record December warmth to Southeast Michigan on Wednesday, December 23rd.
Two fast-moving lines of strong to severe storms moved east across southeast Missouri, accompanied by strong winds and isolated tornadoes. A few bowing segments along the lines produced damaging winds. Conditions were favorable for severe storms.
A squall line developed ahead of an ejecting upper system over the lower Ohio Valley and raced northeast into the region. A second squall line developed and trailed the first one by an hour or so.
A potent low pressure lifted from the central Plains into the upper Midwest on the 23rd, swinging a strong cold front east through the Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys. This generated an outbreak of severe weather and tornadoes through these regions.
A squall line developed ahead of an ejecting upper system over the lower Ohio Valley and raced northeast into the region. A second squall line developed and trailed the first one by an hour or so.
Strong surface low pressure tracked from the Plains into the Mississippi River Valley while a strong cold front pushed into the Mid-South on December 23, 2015.
Abundant moisture and instability combined with a strong upper level system to bring severe storms to the region. North Mississippi endured much of the severe weather this day thanks to atmospheric capping over Central Mississippi.
A line of storms moved through Mississippi on the evening of December 23rd and into the early morning hours on December 24th. These storms produced damaging winds and tornadoes across southern Mississippi.
A cold front moved through Southeast Texas causing scattered showers and a few thunderstorms. Two tornadoes also occurred.
2 on December 23, oldest first.
Hurricane Faxai reached its peak of 155 kt (180 mph) with a central pressure of 879 mb, a category 5 storm.
A strong low pressure system entered the Aleutian Islands at 976 mb the morning of 6/23. It rapidly strengthened to 955 mb and moved across the Bering Sea.
11 on December 23, oldest first.
Heavy rainfall resulted in street flooding in the city.
A strong but slow-moving low pressure system began its approach to Arkansas on the 23rd. Ahead of this low, unseasonably large amounts of moisture were drawn northward from the Gulf of Mexico. The approach of the low set off heavy rain and thunderstorms on the 23rd and 24th.
A strong upper level trough brought numerous showers and thunderstorms to the tri-state area just before Christmas. Thunderstorms trained over the city of Tallahassee, resulting in major flash flooding with water rescues and numerous stranded vehicles.
Unseasonable warmth and rich Gulf moisture collided with an approaching surface low pressure system and cold front to produce several lines of strong to severe thunderstorms across central Kentucky. Damaging winds was the main threat, but some hail was also reported.
Two fast-moving lines of strong to severe storms moved east across western Kentucky, accompanied by strong winds, isolated large hail, and torrential rainfall. A few bowing segments along the lines produced damaging winds. Conditions were favorable for severe storms.
Unseasonable warmth and rich Gulf moisture collided with an approaching surface low pressure system and cold front to produce several lines of strong to severe thunderstorms across southern Indiana. Damaging winds were the main threat, but hail was also reported.
Beginning on December 22nd a powerful storm was developing over the Ohio River Valley. On December 23rd the center of the storm was deepening rapidly (974mb) as it lifted through the eastern Great Lakes.
Beginning on December 22nd a powerful storm was developing over the Ohio River Valley. On December 23rd the center of the storm was deepening rapidly (974mb) as it lifted through the eastern Great Lakes.
Low pressure deepened rapidly as it tracked through the eastern Great Lakes.|The storm produced damaging southeast to south winds across much of southern New England and minor to moderate coastal flooding the east and south coasts.
Long duration high surf caused damage across Monterey Bay and resulted in numerous attempted water rescues on December 23. Around 1244 PST, around 150 feet of the Santa Cruz wharf collapsed and fell into Monterey Bay.
A very strong area of low pressure, tapped into an atmospheric river driving up subtropical moisture, produced substantial rainfall across southern California.
19 on December 23, oldest first.
Spotter reported 60 mph winds.
Trees were blown down by severe thunderstorm winds at the west edge of the city of San Antonio near the intersection of Marbach Road and Loop 410.
In a 5 mile wide swath, 7 homes were damaged from winds, a church roof was damaged by a fallen tree, several barns were damaged, and numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Strong winds downed a tree onto a car traveling south along the Cross Island Parkway near the Grand Central Parkway in Queens. The tree crushed the driver to death. Peak wind gusts were measured at 47 mph at LaGuardia Airport and 45 mph at Kennedy Airport.
Strong southeast and then west winds affected New Jersey throughout the afternoon into the first part of the evening on the 23rd. The strongest winds between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. EST that afternoon. Peak wind gusts averaged around 45 mph.
Strong winds with gusts up to 50 mph downed trees, wires, and utility poles. The damage was isolated. The strong winds occurred around the time of a cold frontal passage.
Strong southeast and then west winds affected eastern Pennsylvania throughout the afternoon of the 23rd. The strongest winds in the Poconos preceded the cold frontal passage during the first half of the afternoon.
A narrow line of rain with embedded thunderstorms just ahead of an arctic cold front produced high wind gusts ranging from 50 to 78 mph. This resulted in widespread power outages and reports of wind damage across central and southern lower Michigan.
A strong area of low pressure moved through the central Great Lakes on the 23rd. The cold front extending from this low pressure moved through northern Ohio during the morning hours.
A deep low pressure system lifted northward across eastern Wisconsin and into the Upper Peninsula. This system sent a rather strong cold front through Southeast Lower Michigan on the morning of December 23rd.
Unseasonable warm and moist air interacted with a powerful cold front to bring several small lines of thunderstorms.
A potent cold front crossed the region during the afternoon hours. Behind the front, windy conditions developed. Scattered power outages were reported across the western parts of the Niagara Frontier and the strong winds were funneled over Lake Erie.
A deepening low pressure system tracking from Kansas to Wisconsin brought unseasonably warm and moist air northward into central Illinois on December 23rd.
An area of strong low pressure moved northeast across the western Great Lakes on December 23rd. A warm front stretching east from this low lifted north across Ohio causing showers and a few thunderstorms to develop.
Strong winds developed across the Bitterroot Valley as a Pacific cold front tracked across the area.
An extremely powerful winter storm located in the eastern Great Lakes and Ontario delivered strong southeast winds of 25 to 35 mph with frequent gusts of 50-60+ mph during the morning hours to higher elevations, western slopes of the Green mountains and the Champlain valley.
Strong gradient winds developed behind a strong Arctic cold front that moved through the area on December 23. Wind gusts up to 63 mph were observed in Garrett, Frederick, Baltimore, and Anne Arundel Counties.
A low pressure system rapidly intensified December 22nd to December 23rd as the center of the low moved from the Midwest across the Great Lakes. A flash freeze, strong wind gusts, and dangerously cold temperatures were recorded across the region.
An extremely powerful winter storm located in the eastern Great Lakes and Ontario delivered strong southeast winds of 25 to 45 mph in the morning hours that caused some scattered power outages.
48 on December 23, oldest first.
Snowstorm of December 23, 1909 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Ohio Valley. It lasted from December 23, 1909 to December 27, 1909.
Blizzard conditions developed across Big Stone and Traverse counties in the late afternoon and continued into the late evening.
General 4 to 10 inch snowfall across much of the area. Heaviest snowfalls of 6 to 10 inches in central and eastern sections of area while snow amounts were in the 4 to 6 inch range in the north.
Freezing rain and freezing drizzle left a deposit of ice up 3/8 thick in a swath from Iowa and Lafayette counties northwest to the southern part of Fond du Lac county. The worst ice accumulations occurred around Madison to around Baraboo.
The strong upper level storm system moved northeast out of the Texas Panhandle and produced heavy snow across the eastern Oklahoma Panhandle. Beaver county reported from twelve to sixteen inches of snow.
An arctic front moved down through Utah from Canada in a northerly flow aloft. Heavy snow fell across much of western Utah especially south of the Great Salt Lake. Strong easterly canyon winds also occurred along the Wasatch Front.
A winter storm brought a mixture of freezing rain...sleet...and rain to the northern half of Alabama. The northwestern quarter of Alabama was especially hard hit.
A major ice storm affected central and eastern Virginia from Wednesday, December 23rd into Friday, December 25th. A prolonged period of freezing rain and some sleet resulted in ice accumulations of one half inch /0.50/ to one inch /1.00/ in many locations.
Newspaper accounts reported trecherous driving conditions across Franklin county. 1/2 to 3/4 inch of ice was observed at 105 PM on December 24 and there was one injury. In Fentress county, 40 percent of the county was without power and numerous trees were down.
A major ice storm affected the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore from Wednesday, December 23rd into Friday, December 25th. A prolonged period of freezing rain and sleet resulted in ice accumulations of one quarter inch /0.25/ to three quarters inch /0.75/ in many locations.
A major ice storm affected portions of northeast North Carolina from Wednesday, December 23rd into Friday, December 25th. A prolonged period of freezing rain and sleet resulted in ice accumulations of one quarter inch /0.25/ to one half inch / 0.50/ in some locations.
A winter storm brought a mixture of freezing rain, sleet, and rain to the northern half of Alabama. The precipitation began in the morning of the 23rd and lasted until afternoon on the 24th .
Cold northwest winds blowing across Lake Erie resulted in the development of lake effect snow bands just before sunrise on the 23rd. Heavy snow first fell near the lakeshore in Lake and Ashtabula Counties.
Cold northwest winds blowing across Lake Erie resulted in the development of lake effect snow bands around noon on the 23rd. Heavy snow first fell along the Lake Erie lakeshore, but spread over southern Erie County and all of Crawford County by early on the 24th.
Russel Foster, Anchorage, his girlfriend and fiveother snowmachiners were with a group riding in the ChugachNational Forest off Palmer Creek Road near the old Swetmann MineSunday.Sometime after 1 p.m., Foster, 35, headed up a slope abovethe rest of the riders, according to State…
Snowstorm of December 23, 2002 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from December 23, 2002 to December 26, 2002.
An avalanche in-bounds at the Canyons Resort caught 4 skiers in it, leading to three injuries and one fatality.
Light freezing rain developed during the afternoon of December 23rd. Ice accumulation on roads across the northern portions of Kentucky lead to numerous traffic accidents and several fatalities.
Warm air overrunning colder air at the surface resulted in widespread freezing drizzle and light freezing rain across portions of central, south-central and southeast Kansas from the 23rd through the early morning hours on the 24th.
A wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain fell from the late evening of the 23rd into the morning on the 24th across eastern Pennsylvania. The resulting glaze on untreated roadways led to numerous accidents.
A storm system spread a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain across central Illinois on December 23rd. The precipitation was on the light side: however, locations along and south of I-72 reported a thin glaze of ice from the freezing rain.
Widespread freezing rain coated surfaces with up to one-tenth inch of ice. Due to very cold antecedent conditions, pavement temperatures were low enough that the initial drops of precipitation immediately created hazardous conditions.
Light freezing rain the afternoon of December 23 led to numerous traffic accidents that resulted in two fatalities. Freezing rain changed into rain during the evening as temperatures rose.
Light freezing rain fell during the day on December 23rd, 2008. Minor ice accumulations occurred across Eastern Arkansas. This made roads hazardous to travel and many accidents occurred as a result. Two deaths occurred from traffic accidents.
A shallow arctic airmass moved into the region a few days earlier resulting in near to slightly below freezing temperatures across much of southwest Arkansas.
Snow from a winter weather system caused roads throughout the county to become quite slippery. Drivers had difficulty controlling their vehicles on the slippery roads, causing many of them to end up in ditches.
Lift over a cold layer of air at the surface resulted in a glazing of light freezing rain. Even though the layer of ice was thin, numerous wrecks resulted with a few injuries. Indirect damages are estimated at $150,000.
Freezing rain fell across portions of Eastern Kentucky late in the afternoon into the evening hours of December 23rd. Light precipitation started out as sleet, freezing rain, and rain during the afternoon hours.
A double-barreled winter storms affected the Kansas region from the predawn hours on the 23rd through the early morning hours on the 25th.
A major winter storm brought blizzard conditions and widespread significant snow accumulations to the South Plains region of west Texas on Christmas Eve. The remnant snow pack resulted in a subsequent and rare White Christmas for much of west Texas.
A complex winter storm developed over the central High Plains early on the 23rd, producing an area of moderate to heavy snow generally southeast of a line from Russell Springs in Logan County to Norcatur in Decatur County.
Part 1 of 2: A major winter storm system affected the central U.S. during Christmas week. There were two upper level systems involved with this storm. The southern stream low dove into the southern U.S. and then turned northeast.
Prolonged snowfall produced heavy accumulations of 1 to 2 feet in southwest Minnesota. The snowfall took place from two days before to the day after Christmas.
A significant and prolonged winter storm impacted all of west and central North Dakota beginning Wednesday, December 23rd, lasting into Saturday, December 26th. Lead time was significant, as statements, watches, and warnings were posted well in advance of the storm.
Patchy light freezing rain and freezing drizzle during the evening hours on the 23rd produced a thin glaze of ice across central, south-central and portions of southeast Kansas. The glaze of ice produced very slick roads through the early morning hours on the 24th.
An upper level disturbance passed over the region during the night and early morning, bringing milder air over cold air at the surface. Light freezing rain developed over western South Dakota, mixing with snow and sleet at times.
Another winter storm with both snow and strong winds again affected southeast Idaho with difficult travel and many road closures.
An intense surface low pressure area along with a powerful cold front brought snow and high winds to northeast South Dakota on December 23rd. The surface low pressure area and cold front tracked from west to east across the region from the early morning into the afternoon hours.
Conditions with temperatures at record or near-record warm levels on December 22 underwent a drastic change over a brief 24 hour period, as a sharp upper-level trough in westerly flow amplified while translating from the Pacific Northwest to the Plains.
On Wednesday, December 23rd, blizzard conditions were observed across much of Minnesota as an intense weather system moved from west to east through the region.
Moderate lake effect snow was reported in Marquette County during the afternoon and evening of the 23rd.
A winter storm produced the first significant snowfall in the northern mountains of Colorado, just in time for Christmas. Storm totals generally ranged from 1 to 2.5 feet. The heaviest snowfall occurred in mountains north of the I-70 corridor.
A band of freezing drizzle moved across portions of western Wisconsin during the early morning of December 23rd. A glaze of ice accumulated on untreated surfaces, including Interstate 94 in Jackson County.
A historic lake effect blizzard occurred northeast of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario during the Christmas holiday weekend.
A long-duration, multi-faceted winter storm hit northern Ohio just before Christmas 2022 with extreme cold, strong winds, accumulating snow and extensive blowing and drifting of the snow that fell.
A strong cold front brought high winds, light snow and travel concerns mainly on interstate 84 from Burley to the Utah State Line. Some power outages occurred as well.
Slick conditions contributed to several accidents across southwest Montana due to freezing rain.
Liquid totals reached 3-6 across the Eastern Sierra, Tahoe Basin , and Northeast California from the series of storms.
10 on December 23, oldest first.
The major arctic outbreak of late December 1989 caused record low temperatures to be set in both Oklahoma City and Wichita Falls. On the 23rd, both cities experienced the coldest temperatures ever observed in December. In Oklahoma City, the temperature plummeted to minus 8 degrees, and Wichita Falls fared only slightly better, at minus 7 degrees.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
In addition to a major ice storm, much of Arkansas was affected by sub-freezing temperatures during the latter part of December. The cold weather apparently claimed the life of a man in Jefferson County who was found near some railroad tracks 3 miles east of Pine Bluff.
Bitterly cold temperatures arrived in the wake of a paralyzing snowstorm. In Murphysboro, an 84-year-old woman died from hypothermia after venturing outdoors to locate her pet dog on the evening of December 22.
A 46 year old man was found frozen to death behind a north Fort Worth business.
The December 2017–January 2018 North American cold wave was an extreme weather event in North America in which record low temperatures gripped much of the Central, Eastern United States, and parts of Central and Eastern Canada. Starting in late December as a result of the southward shift of the polar vortex, extremely cold conditions froze the eastern United States in the last few days of 2017 as well as into the new year.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An arctic cold front swept across upstate South Carolina during the morning of the 23rd and introduced the coldest air mass in more than 5 years.
An arctic front associated with a winter storm brought dangerous wind chills to area from the early morning hours of December 23rd to the early morning hours of December 24th.
The coldest blast of arctic air in years and the most frigid Christmas weekend in decades enveloped eastern Kentucky from Friday, December 23rd through Christmas Day.
An arctic front on the morning of December 22nd quickly swept through the central Midwest into northeast Kentucky and southeast Ohio by that evening.
In advance of the arrival of a strong, cold Arctic high pressure system, northwest winds were strong to damaging across the region with gusts within the 58 to 64 mph range during the morning of the 23rd.
4 on December 23, oldest first.
Mt. Pleasant recorded 18 inches, Mississippi’s all-time maximum 24-hour snowfall, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
Mt. Tunica 2 recorded 18 inches, Mississippi’s all-time maximum 24-hour snowfall, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
Mount Pleasant recorded 18 inches, Mississippi’s all-time maximum snow depth, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
Salem recorded 33 inches, Indiana’s all-time maximum 24-hour snowfall, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
6 on December 23, oldest first.
The Fort Fire started on December 23, 1988, in New Mexico, and burned 20,316 acres.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on December 23, 2000, in Polk County, Florida, and burned 2,000 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The North Tx - 43 Fire was discovered on December 23, 2005, in Parker County, Texas, and burned 1,200 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on December 23, 2007, in La Salle County, Texas, and burned 1,500 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Walker Fire was reported on December 23, 2014, in Yuma County, Arizona, and burned 1,110 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Creek 5 Fire was reported on December 23, 2020, in San Diego County, California, and burned 4,276 acres.
12 on December 23, oldest first.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Ancona, Italy. It killed 10 people. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck Enshunada Sea, Japan. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 1,000 people, destroyed 8,900 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Shanxi Province, China. It killed some people (about 51 to 100).
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Quchan, Iran. It killed 2,000 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 27 people, injured 8 and destroyed 104 houses.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Ometepec, Guerrero, Mexico. It killed 4 people.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Managua, Nicaragua. It killed 10,000 people, injured 20,000 and did $3 billion in damage.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Pintung, Taiwan. It killed 2 people and injured 3.
A magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck Macquarie Island, Australia. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand. It injured 60.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Blida, Algeria.
5 on December 23, oldest first.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Central Adriatic, Italy. It killed 10 people.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck Enshunada Sea, Japan, with a maximum water height of 21 meters. It killed 1,000 people, destroyed 8,900 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A tsunami struck Ligurian Sea, Italy.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea, with a maximum water height of 12 meters. It killed 27 people, injured 8 and destroyed 104 houses.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck Macquarie Island, Australia, with a maximum water height of 0.3 meters.
7 on December 23, oldest first.
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm began December 23, 1937, reached Kp 6+ and lasted 9 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 36; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 53 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm began December 23, 1942, reached Kp 5 and lasted 6 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 31; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 60 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm began December 23, 1959, reached Kp 6 and lasted 3 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 28; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 55 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm began December 23, 1972, reached Kp 5 and lasted 6 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 30; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 60 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm began December 23, 1972, reached Kp 5 and lasted 3 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 30; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 60 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm began December 23, 1982, reached Kp 5 and lasted 3 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 26; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 60 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm began December 23, 2000, reached Kp 6- and lasted 3 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 21; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 57 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
1 on December 23, oldest first.
A freeze disaster that cost $5.2 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 10, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from December 23, 1989 to December 25, 1989.
4 on December 23, oldest first.
On this date in 1983, the barometric pressure at Wichita Falls, Texas rose to 31.13 inches, which was the second highest known pressure reading ever recorded in the state of Texas. This was associated with the Big Chill of the 20th century in Texas, which was 17 straight days of bitterly frigid air.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
Lightning was determined as the cause of a fire that nearly destroyed a home in the Carriage Oaks subdivision. Lightning struck the home and started the fire. The home's attached garage was heavily involved in the fire.
Waves as high as 6 feet washed a man into the lake as he was sitting on a rock along the shore of Lake Superior at Bluefin Bay Resort. He was wearing swimming trunks as he had just exited a nearby sauna.
Fire Department crews arrived to find a capsized vessel around five miles offshore and two teenagers clinging to a nearby oil rig.
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.