On the night of December 10th, I needed to get sleep. I had an early trip the next morning. I couldn't sleep though. I was glued to my phone and laptop for hours, because something remarkable and devastating was taking place across several Midwestern and Southern States. My Instagram stories follow the events.
The warned cell southwest of Jonesboro, Arkansas in te above screenshot was the early stages of a monster supercell that produced two long-tracked preliminary rated EF4 tornadoes. The first tornado formed near Bowman, Arkansas, and remained on the ground, getting violent near Monette Arkansas, before the supercell performed a rapid cycle after the tornado crossed the Mississippi.
A new violent, long tracked tornado then rapidly formed while the old tornado dissipated. The new tornado remained on the ground for hours, inflicting damage and upending lives on it's way through Kentucky.
Though many seem to be suggesting, in the days that have followed, that December tornadoes are rare, this is certainly not the case. There is more precedent for this event than one might think, with a history of significant December tornadoes dating back as long as records have been kept. This year, La Niña conditions are driving volatile late season severe weather. Though it was clear to many of us that there would be a severe weather event on Dec. 10, and the tornado was reasonably well covered by the NWS and local stations, it still took lives. This was one of the deadliest tornado events in recent memory.
I had multiple breakdowns as the events of that night unfolded and as images and videos came out over the following days. I love meteorology and have an obsessive need to forecast, chase, and photograph tornadoes, but I have a really hard time watching people's lives ending, and I knew that was what I was watching that night. It's time for us to help. If you can give, please do. The following is a list of ways to donate towards relief for the victims of the Decemember 10, 2021 tornado outbreak:
Thank You.
All imagery used in this post is owned by RadarScope.
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