Portal:Tornadoes/Anniversaries/December

December 1

2006 – A small tornado outbreak hit Pennsylvania, mostly in the eastern part of the state. An F1 tornado killed one person near Halifax when a tree fell on the victim's car. An F2 tornado hit Fairview Heights, Mountain Top, and Dorrance Township. Five people were injured when the windows of a grocery store were blown out.
2018 – A tornado outbreak struck Missouri and Illinois with a handful of weak tornadoes elsewhere. An EF3 tornado caused extensive damage in Hewittsville and Taylorville, Illinois, destroying 28 homes and injuring 22 people. Damage totaled $118.9 million. An EF1 tornado killed one person in a hotel on the south side of Aurora, Missouri.

December 2

1950 – A small tornado outbreak hit Illinois and Arkansas. An F3 tornado damaged about 100 homes in Greenville, Illinois, killing two people and injuring 25. An F2 tornado threw a car from the road near Mount Olive, Illinois, killing one occupant and injuring three others.
1952 – A tornado struck Payneville in Springs, Gauteng, South Africa killing 11 people and throwing cattle into the air. This was the second killer tornado to strike Gauteng in three days, with another tornado killing at least 20 people on November 30.
1982 – A tornado outbreak caused significant damage in Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois. An F3 tornado tore through Alexander, Arkansas and the west side of Little Rock, killing two people and injuring 53. It severely damaged or destroyed 86 mobile homes and more than 100 houses, with about 750 buildings damaged overall. Another F3 tornado killed two people and injured 70 as it caused major damage in New Baden, Illinois, where it destroyed 44 apartment units, 16 houses, and more than 70 mobile homes.

December 3

1978 – An outbreak produced strong tornadoes across Louisiana and Arkansas in the pre-dawn hours. An F4 tornado touched down in Shreveport, Louisiana and devastated a portion of Bossier City, destroying 75 homes and 51 businesses, with hundreds damaged. Two girls were killed in their sleep when a car was thrown into their home, and 266 other people were injured. Damage totaled $100 million (equivalent to $467 million in 2023). An F3 tornado killed two people north of Heflin, Louisiana and an F2 tornado killed another person west of El Dorado, Arkansas.
1983 – An F3 tornado hit Oxford and Golden Springs, Alabama. Both deaths and most of the 51 injuries occurred when the roof of a grocery store collapsed. Store shelves kept the roof from collapsing all the way to the floor. Victims were trapped in the store for several hours. A few houses and trailer homes were destroyed.

December 4

1880 – An F3 tornado or a family of two tornadoes killed two people and injured 15 as it destroyed homes and barns in Diamond Grove, south of Sarcoxie, Missouri, and in Lawrenceburg. An F2 tornado killed one person near Carthage, Missouri.
1925 – A few strong tornadoes touched down across Arkansas, Mississippi, and Kentucky. An F2 tornado killed two people and damaged 100 homes in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Two others were killed by an F3 tornado near Hardin, Kentucky.

December 5

1953 – An F5 tornado devastated the south side of Vicksburg, Mississippi, killing 38 people and injuring 270, with many deaths in a theater. Hundreds of homes were destroyed. Tornado historian Thomas P. Grazulis disputes the F5 rating of this tornado, as the destroyed structures were frail.
1975 – An F3 tornado touched down on the northeast side of Tulsa, Oklahoma, destroying 35 homes, 29 apartments, 20 aircraft, 2 mobiles homes, and 6 businesses, and injuring 38 people. Several homes were completely swept away, prompting Grazulis to assign an F4 rating.

December 6

1892 – A tornado outbreak killed three people in northeastern Texas. An F4 tornado swept away farms near Atlanta, Texas, killing one person and injuring 25, 13 of them in one house. An F2 tornado killed a child near Marshall and another F2 tornado killed a person near Nacocgdoches.
1983 – An F3 tornado moved across parts of Selma, Alabama, damaging or destroying 103 buildings, including a dormitory at Selma University. One person was killed and 19 were injured. An F4 tornado struck the northwestern portion of La Place, Louisiana, injuring 25 people. About 100-125 homes were severely damaged with 25-30 destroyed. Several homes were wiped clean from their foundations, but an F5 rating was not assigned because the homes were not well-anchored.
2012 – A rain-wrapped EF2 tornado struck Hobsonville, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand killing three people, including two workers at a construction site, tying it as New Zealand's deadliest tornado. The other record-holder was in Hamilton in 1948.

December 7

1924 – An outbreak produced strong tornadoes in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama. An F2 tornado killed three people in one home near Beedeville, Arkansas. Another F2 tornado killed one person near Gibson, Tennessee. One other person may have died near Gallatin, Tennessee.
1996 – A short-lived F2 tornado touched down in Riverview, Florida. A man and his three dogs died when a mobile home was thrown 100 feet (30 m). A car was found with most of its contents, including a transmission, sucked out through the hatchback.
2010 – An F3 tornado tracked 34 miles (54 km) across the Santarém and Castelo Branco Districts of Portugal, causing its worst damage in Tomar and injuring 40 people, including several children at a kindergarten.

December 8

1851 – Two destructive tornadoes came ashore at Marsala, Sicily (then part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) and crossed a portion of the island before returning to the sea at Castellammare del Golfo. An estimated 500 people were killed, including 200 at Castellammare, where half the down was destroyed.
1917 – An F2 tornado destroyed several homes and other buildings in Atlanta, Louisiana, killing a child and injuring two others. This event came exactly one year after another F2 tornado hit Atlanta. The 1916 storm was more destructive, destroying 35 homes and many smaller structures; two people were killed and 15 were injured.

December 9

1879 – An F4 tornado passed west of Renick, Missouri and leveled two farms, with severe damage to eight others. One person was killed and seven were injured. An F3 tornado destroyed five farm homes near Shelbina, Missouri, injuring five people. TornadoLGS (talk) 22:24, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

December 10

1967 – Eight tornadoes struck the Gulf Coast in the Florida Panhandle, Mississippi, and Alabama. An F3 tornado caused extensive damage to Tyndall Air Force Base, destroying 39 homes, killing one person, and injuring 34. An F2 tornado killed a child and injured 50 other people in Walton Beach and Ocean City, Florida, where 35 homes and 9 businesses were destroyed and 313 were damaged.
2021 – A two-day tornado outbreak resulted in 89 fatalities from 70 tornadoes. One EF4 tornado during the outbreak tracked 165 miles (266 km) and killed 58 people, causing destruction in multiple Kentucky towns, including Mayfield, Benton, Dawson Springs, and Bremen. Additional tornadoes resulted in fatalities in Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, and Kentucky, including an EF3 tornado that killed 16 people in Bowling Green.

December 11

1949 – A tornado outbreak impacted states along the Mississippi River. An F4 tornado killed 6 people and injured 30 in rural areas west of Poplar Bluff, Missouri. An F3 tornado struck Providence, Arkansas and passed north of Bradford, killing 4 people and injuring 11, with 3 deaths in a house that was carried 50 yards (about 50 m).
1990 – A tornado, estimated at F4 intensity by Ted Fujita, struck Mobara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, damaging 1,000 homes, of which 82 were destroyed, and injuring 60 people. One house was lifted off its foundation before disintegrating, and steel rods at a construction site were bent to the ground. Video analysis indicated wind speeds of 93 m/s (208 mph; 335 km/h) 120 metres (390 ft) above the ground. Fujita's rating would make this the only F4 tornado in record in Japan.

December 12

1928 – A few strong tornadoes developed in Texas and Louisiana. An F3 tornado destroyed homes in Zavalla and Sulphur Springs, Texas, with one home swept away. Two people died and six were injured. An F2 tornado killed two people in a farm house near Center, Texas and destroyed 300 acres (120 ha) of timber. Another F2 tornado killed one person and injured eight near Noble, Louisiana.
1931 – A late-night F2 tornado or tornado family caused major damage in Waldo and Camden, Arkansas, killing a child and injuring 46 other people. After midnight, another F2 tornado killed two people on a plantation near Cotton Valley, Louisiana.

December 13

1973 – A tornado outbreak affected the Southeastern United States with the greatest impacts in South Carolina including five strong tornadoes in Greenwood and Newberry Counties. An F4 tornado (rated F3 by Thomas P. Grazulis) killed two workers at a factory in Ninety Six, South Carolina. An F3 tornado injured 26 people as it traveled from Greenwood, South Carolina to Ninety Six. An F3 tornado caused significant damage in Gainesville, Georgia, which had previously been devastated by tornadoes in 1903 and 1936.
1977 – An F3 tornado touched down in northeastern Houston, Texas, destroying 12 homes, 18 trailers, and 13 businesses with hundreds more damaged. One person was killed while trying to flee in a pickup truck and 40 others were injured. An F0 tornado also briefly touched down in Houston.
1984 – An F3 tornado damaged about 600 homes in Balch Springs, Mesquite, and Garland, Texas, with the worst damage in Mesquite. Twenty-eight people were injured. The fast motion of the tornado resulted in damage occurring almost exclusively on the right side of the vortex.

December 14

1987 – An F3 tornado caused major damage in West Memphis, Arkansas and Northaven, Memphis, killing 6 people and injuring 121. It heavily damaged or destroyed 323 homes and 35 businesses, leaving 1,500 people homeless. Several sets of high-voltage power lines were severed, leaving all of Crittenden County without power. The death toll could have been much higher, as the tornado passed within 400 yards of a dog racetrack with 6,000-7,000 people in attendance.

December 15

1893 – Three strong tornadoes (two F2, one F3) touched down in Arkansas. The F3 tornado killed four people in the destruction of sevel homes south of Camden. An F2 tornado killed a child near Magnolia.
1998 – An F2 tornado hit Umtata, Eastern Cape, South Africa, causing significant damage to several buildings with roofs and walls torn off. Eleven people died when the wall of a bus station collapsed.
2021 – A derecho spawned 120 tornadoes across Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, the largest December outbreak on record; 29 tornadoes were rated EF2. This outbreak marked the first time that tornadoes were recorded in Minnesota in December.

December 16

2000 – Numerous tornadoes struck the Deep South; the most significant tornado was an F4 which struck Tuscaloosa, Alabama, causing 11 deaths and 144 injuries. An additional death occurred in Geneva, Alabama, and an F3 tornado caused significant damage in Etowah County.

December 17

1887 – A fast-moving F3 tornado or tornado family moved across Johnston and Bryan Counties, Oklahoma. It destroyed several houses near Fort Washita and more at a town identified as "Green," which may have been Blue. Six people were killed and 50 were injured.
1915 – Five F2 tornadoes touched down in parts of Mississippi and Alabama. One of them killed two people near Giles, Mississippi and likely resulted in an additional six deaths and 75 injuries in rural areas of Kemper County, Mississippi. The same tornado destroyed a home and railroad station in Geiger, Alabama.

December 18

1957 – On the first day of a major outbreak, strong, fast-moving tornadoes developed across Missouri and Illinois, killing 17 people. An F4 tornado, which closely followed the path of the Tri-State tornado of 1925, killed 11 people in Gorham, Murphysboro, and Sand Ridge, Illinois. Most of the deaths were in a small section of Murphysboro. An F5 tornado completely destroyed Sunfield, Illinois, killing one person and injuring six. Three died in an F2 tornado that hit Chaffee, Missouri. An F4 tornado killed one person in Mount Vernon, Illinois and an F2 tornado killed another person near Knob Lick, Missouri.
2018 – a rare EF2 tornado damaged about 250 homes and a strip mall in Port Orchard, Washington. No tornado warning had been issued. No deaths or injuries were reported.

December 19

1995 – Two tornadoes touched down in Gadsden County, Florida. A short-lived F2 tornado destroyed a trailer home north of Mount Pleasant, killing one occupant and injuring the other. Items from the trailer were carried 3 miles (4.8 km). An F1 tornado destroyed a small building and damaged a store near Hinson.

December 20

1973 – Two intermittent tornadoes hit Miami-Dade County, Florida. The more damaging tornado, rated F2, destroyed 10 houses and 22 mobile homes in Homestead and caused major damage to 100 other residences. Nine people suffered injuries that required hospitalization. The other tornado, rated F1, caused damage to about 150 homes, a construction site, and vehicles in South Miami Heights.

December 21

1967 – Widespread tornadoes formed across much of the eastern half of the United States with the most intense activity in Missouri and Illinois. An F4 tornado destroyed the city hall and a large portion of the business district of Potosi, Missouri, killing 3 people and injuring 52. An F3 tornado injured 15 people in rural areas as it traveled from near Lithium, Missouri to near Pinckneyville, Illinois. A brief F2 tornado destroyed a few homes in Pisgah, Mississippi; one person was crushed under a wall.
1990 – A tornado outbreak hit Louisiana and Mississippi. An F3 tornado destroyed 55 homes and trailers in Vaiden, Mississippi and damaged 89 others. A 12-year-old girl was killed and 15 other people were injured. An F1 tornado killed one person near Belzoni, Mississippi.

December 22

1920 – An F3 tornado traveled from near Barnwell to near Snelling, South Carolina. One person was killed in the destruction of a farm house; the roof was carried about a mile (1.6 km). Four others were injured.

December 23

1921 – A significant tornado outbreak hit the Southeastern United States. An F3 tornado destroyed 40 tenant homes on a plantation, killing two people, before striking Clarkedale, Arkansas. There, four more died in a store while Christmas shopping. An F2 tornado killed five people on plantations between Jonestown and Marks, Mississippi. One other person died when his horse stepped on a downed power line. Just past midnight, another F3 tornado killed one person in Spencer, Louisiana and at least five others (possibly eight) on nearby plantations. Eight more people were killed by tornadoes in the pre-dawn hours of Christmas Eve.
2014 – Seven tornadoes touched down in the Southeastern United States. The strongest, rated EF3, heavily damaged or destroyed numerous homes and businesses in Columbia, Mississippi, causing three deaths and 50 injuries. Two others died west of Laurel, Mississippi when an EF2 tornado obliterated a mobile home.
2015 – Another major tornado outbreak hit the Southeast. A long-track EF4 tornado killed nine people in northern Mississippi with homes destroyed in and near Holly Springs, Ashland, and Walnut. An EF3 tornado destroyed 33 homes and 2 businesses near Clarksdale and Marks, Mississippi, killing two people and injuring 26. Two others died from an EF2 tornado east of Linden, Tennessee.

December 24

1945 – An F2 tornado destroyed several homes, two churches, and a store near Sumrall, Mississippi. Three people died on one home, with one body carried a quarter mile (400 m). Ten people were injured.
1982 – Tornadoes struck areas of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. An F3 tornado destroyed most of Rose Bud, Arkansas and severely damaged or destroyed 28 homes in Saltillo, killing one person and injuring seven. An F3 tornado killed one person, and injured his wife, in a trailer south of Eastwood, Missouri. Their house had been destroyed by another tornado at the same location three weeks earlier. Antoher person was killed by an F3 tornado in Woodruff County, Arkansas. A long-track F4 tornado injured 11 people on a path from near Mammoth Spring, Arkansas to Van Buren, Missouri.
1988 – An F4 tornado destroyed a 54 homes, 13 apartment units, and 31 businesses in Franklin and Brentwood, Tennessee. One person died when a roof collapsed and seven others were injured. Six parked airplanes were also destroyed.

December 25

2012 – A tornado outbreak occurred on Christmas Day across the Deep South, with 31 tornadoes being confirmed from Texas to North Carolina. An EF3 tornado carved a 60-mile (97 km) path through Mississippi, injuring twelve, while an EF2 tornado struck downtown Mobile, Alabama, resulting in several injuries.

December 26

1916 – A probable tornado family up to F4 intensity killed 12 people and hundreds of cattle on an 80-mile (130 km) path through central and eastern Arkansas, with deaths near England, Carlisle, and Des Arc. An F3 tornado on a parallel path killed five people near Pine Bluff and Sherrill, Arkansas. Two others died near Tallulah, Louisiana and in Washington County, Mississippi.
2015 – A tornado outbreak started on December 26, spawning 32 total tornadoes across the southeastern and central United States, particularly in Texas. The outbreak damaged hundreds of homes, inflicting $40 million in damage. The worst damage was from an EF4 tornado that destroyed 400 homes in Sunnyvale, Garland, and Rowlett, Texas, killing 10 people and injuring more than 400; Nine died when vehicles were swept from under a highway overpass. Two people died and 119 were injured in an EF2 tornado near Copeville, Texas.

December 27

1922 – Just past midnight, an F2 tornado destroyed several cabins east of Edwards, Mississippi. Five members of one family died in one cabin.
1968 – A tornado outbreak struck portions of Mississippi. An F2 destroyed several homes in Tallahatchie County, killing one person and injuring five. Five others were injured by an F2 tornado that moved from Columbus to Caledonia.

December 28

1954 – Two tornadoes struck Mississippi. An F3 tornado damaged twenty blocks of homes in Laurel, injuring 25 people. An F1 tornado in Smith County destroyed a home and injured two people. The total cost of damage was $760,000.

December 29

2006 – An outbreak of 26 tornadoes hit portions of Texas. An F2 tornado struck Kosse and Groesbeck, killing one person and injuring 20. Another F2 tornado injured 12 people in Johnson County.
2019 – Eight tornadoes struck Mississippi and Alabama. Three EF1 tornadoes struck Attala County, Mississippi, resulting in mostly minor damage.

December 30

1931 – An F4 tornado moved through the eastern edge of Magee, Mississippi and continued on to strike New Hebron, Mississippi. Five people were killed and 50 were injured, with most of the deaths at a turpentine came near Magee. Debris from homes was carried 3 miles (5 km).
1973 – Three tornadoes touched down in Alabama and Georgia. An F3 tornado struck Fort Rucker, the second to do so in two days, and caused significant damage before destroying several trailers in Ozark, Alabama. At least 14 people were injured.

December 31

1947 – A tornado outbreak struck the Southern United States, resulting in 20 fatalities and over 250 injuries. The worst impacts were from an F4 tornado or tornado family that killed 18 people and injured 225 in northeastern Louisiana and southern Arkansas, including 14 deaths in the devastation of Cotton Valley, Louisiana.
2010 – Tornadic activity occurred across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, and Mississippi, with 28 tornadoes resulting in nine deaths and numerous injuries. Five tornadoes were rated EF3, with the towns of Cincinnati, Arkansas; Fenton, Missouri; and Lake Petersburg, Illinois sustaining significant damage. Just after midnight on January 1, seven additional tornadoes struck Mississippi, including two rated EF3.