Part of a roof lays in front of a home, destroyed by a powerful tornado in Defiance, Missouri on Sunday, December 12, 2021. A tornado hit the small town west of St. Louis on Friday, December 10, 2021, destroying 25 homes and killing one.
Credit: © Bill Greenblatt, UPI/Alamy Images

Devastating tornadoes tore through Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. At least 22 tornadoes were reported throughout the 6 states. The storm started with a powerful thunderstorm, which meteorologists believe generated the tornadoes. The largest of the tornadoes broke United States history as the longest tornado. From touch down to the point where the tornado picked back up, the tornado measured 227 miles (365 kilometers).

Most of the destruction occurred in western Kentucky. Although tornadoes can occur any time of the year, they are more common in spring and summer. Tornadoes rarely form in Kentucky in the month of December. In Mayfield, Kentucky, a tornado hit a candle factory where 110 people were working the night shift. The building collapsed in the storm. Reports show eight people from the factory were killed in the storm and six people are still missing. At least 64 people have been confirmed dead in Kentucky with more than 105 people still missing. Rescue efforts are still underway to locate missing people. On Sunday, President Joe Biden approved Kentucky’s request for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

More than a dozen people were killed from the storms in Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri. The storms hit an Amazon warehouse in Illinois, killing six people. One tornado tore through a nursing home in Arkansas, killing one resident. Rescue workers and family members are still searching for missing people throughout the wreckage. Thousands of businesses, houses, and schools have been damaged. Across the affected states, more than 50,000 people have been without electricity since the storm Friday night. Rescue efforts have been complicated because many power lines and cell towers were damaged in the storms.

October 11, 2016

On Oct. 7, 2016, people in Les Cayes, Haiti, search through the wreckage left by Hurricane Matthew days earlier. Credit: Julien Mulliez, UK Department for International Development (licensed under CC BY 2.0)

This past weekend, Hurricane Matthew ravaged the southeast Atlantic coast of the United States, causing flooding and accidents that killed at least 33 people in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. The storm then weakened and turned out to sea, but flooding from heavy rains and storm surges continued in a number of areas. Matthew’s worst destruction, however, came days earlier when the hurricane made landfall in Haiti. There, the storm killed around 1,000 people and triggered a number of cholera cases. Deaths were also reported at sea and in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

A NASA satellite captured this image of Hurricane Matthew along the coast of Florida on Oct. 7, 2016. Credit: NASA’s Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team

Hurricane Matthew formed as a tropical storm off the west coast of Africa in late September. The system strengthened as it prowled across the Atlantic Ocean, building into a hurricane as it entered the eastern Caribbean Sea. Peaking in strength at Category 5—the strongest hurricane rating with winds above 150 miles per hour (240 kilometers per hour)—Matthew scudded northwest and crashed into Haiti on October 4, devastating the country’s southwestern Tiburon Peninsula. Entire villages and farms were flattened or washed away, with contaminated water causing outbreaks of cholera. That same day, the storm lashed the eastern tip of Cuba, causing severe flooding in and around the city of Baracoa. Over the next two days, the storm rumbled over the Bahamas, doing its worst on Grand Bahama island just off the coast of Florida.

Hurricane Matthew rolled through the Caribbean Sea and up the southeast coast of the United States in early October 2016. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

Hurricane Matthew then skirted the southeast coast of the United States, where mass evacuations had cleared many people from harm’s way. From October 7 through October 9, the storm caused flooding from Saint Augustine, Florida, up to Fort Pulaski, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; and inland into North Carolina and Virginia. Savannah, Georgia, recorded the highest rain total during the storm—more than 17 inches (44 centimeters). Around Greenville, North Carolina, flooding washed out highways and bridges, stranded motorists, and forced people to the roofs of their homes. In that state, boat and aircrews rescued more than 1,000 people—700 in central Cumberland County alone. Evacuations of coastal areas were fairly successful, but inland areas were often caught off guard. The storm also knocked out electric power for more than 2 million people and forced the closures of thousands of business and schools—including the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, which closed for just the fourth time in its history.

December 10, 2015

December saw flooding in several parts of the world, with separate weather events inundating portions of the United Kingdom and Ireland, southeast India, and the United States Pacific Northwest.

A woman collects drinking water at a residential area flooded with rainwater in Chennai, India, on Dec. 6, 2015. Credit: © Arun Sankar K, AP Photo

Early in the month, Storm Desmond set a record for 24-hour rainfall in the United Kingdom, dropping 13.4 inches (341 millimeters) in the northwestern county of Cumbria on December 5. Desmond was a type of large, swirling windstorm called an extratropical cyclone. The storm pushed an atmospheric river—a channel of intense moisture in the air—over the region, causing heavy flooding in parts of northern England, northern Wales, and southern Scotland, as well as central Ireland. The floods damaged thousands of homes and killed two people.

The city of Chennai, in southeast India, received 15.6 inches (397 millimeters) of rain over a two-day period in early December. The drenching followed a record-setting November that produced 47.1 inches (1196 millimeters) of total rainfall. The rains caused flooding throughout the state of Tamil Nadu, causing the deaths of more than 200 people and forcing thousands of others from their homes.

In the United States, both Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, received a month’s worth of rain over just a few days in early December. Heavy rains led to mudslides, sinkholes, and flooding in the Pacific Northwest, leaving thousands of homes without electric power and killing two people.

Additional World Book articles:

• Heavy Rains Trigger Massive Flooding in Australia – A Behind the Headlines article
• Storm Triggers Massive Flooding Along Australia’s East Coast – A Behind the Headlines article
• Worst Flood Ever in Alberta, Canada – A Behind the Headlines article
• Unprecedented Weather Extremes Reported – A Behind the Headlines article
• Study Links Global Warming to Some Extreme Weather Events – A Behind the Headlines article
• “Biblical” Rains Across Colorado’s Front Range – A Behind the Headlines article
• Florida Sinkhole Swallows Resort Villa – A Behind the Headlines article
• Florida Sinkhole Eats Boat and Swimming Pool – A Behind the Headlines article
• Death Toll Rises from Massive Landslide in Washington State – A Behind the Headlines article
• Storms Kill 31 in Southern states of U.S. and Mexico – A Behind the Headlines article
• Historic Flooding in South Carolina – A Behind the Headlines article

May 29, 2013

A wildfire in Los Padres National Forest in California’s Santa Barbara County had by the afternoon of May 28 burned across some 1,800 acres (730 hectares) in less than 24 hours. More than 550 firefighters–from the county, area cities, and U.S. Forest Service–continued to battle the so-called White Fire, which was 65 percent contained as of late last night, reported officials at the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management.

A smoke jumper parachutes into a burning wildland area (place with land in its natural state) to fight a fire. Such firefighters are able to reach fires in remote areas that would be difficult to access by other means. (© Mike McMillan, Spotfire Images)

Southern California is in the middle of a drought, and the vegetation that is fueling the fire is extremely dry. In addition, the fire is being driven by winds of between 20 and 30 miles (32 and 48 kilometers) per hour. The National Weather Service was predicting continuing gusts of from 45 to 65 miles (72 and 105 kilometers) per hour. Officials estimate that from 2,000 to 3,000 people have evacuated the area since the fire broke out on the afternoon of May 27.

Additional World Book articles:

• When the Rain Stops (a special report)
• Why Forests Need to Burn (a special report)

October 25, 2012

Hurricane Sandy, a strong category two storm, hit southeast Cuba today with maximum sustained winds of 110 miles (175 kilometers) per hour. The storm made landfall just west of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba’s second largest city. Forecasters at the U.S.-based National Hurricane Center expect up to 11 inches (30 millimeters) of rain to fall in some areas.

Hurricane Sandy moves across Cuba and the Caribbean Sea in a satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Yesterday, Sandy lashed Jamaica, downing power lines and stranding thousands of travelers. The hurricane is the first to make a direct hit on Jamaica since Hurricane Gilbert 24 years ago.

Additional World Book articles:

• National Weather Service
• Weather 1988 (a Back in Time article)
• The Forecast: Better Weather Prediction Ahead (a special report)
• How the Ocean Affects Climate (a special report)

August 29, 2012

Hurricane Isaac barreled into the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, bringing storm surges, heavy rains, stiff winds, flooding, and threats of tornadoes. The Category 1 hurricane, which struck parts of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, was expected to reach New Orleans late this evening, seven years to the day that Hurricane Katrina slammed into the city. One of the most destructive storms in United States history, Katrina killed about 1,800 people and caused about $100 billion in damage. About 80 percent of New Orleans was flooded as parts of the city’s system of levees (flood barriers) failed. Most of the approximately 1,500 Louisianians who died because of the storm were from New Orleans.

Isaac made its first landfall at about 7:45 p.m. (EDT), about 95 miles (153 kilometers) south of New Orleans in Plaquemines Parish. The storm then wobbled westward and back into the gulf but returned for a second landfall at 3 a.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, near Port Fourchon, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) south of New Orleans. Heavy rainfall and storm surges along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Mississippi caused flooding as deep as 14 feet (4 meters) in some areas, sending residents who chose not to evacuate to the rooftops of their houses. Local residents and members of the National Guard mounted rescue operations in Plaquemines Parish, where a 12-foot (3.6-meter) storm surge overtopped (flowed over) an 18-mile (5.4-meter) section of levee.

By midday Tuesday, the slow-moving storm had essentially stalled, leading forecasters to predict that heavy rains would pound the area for several days. New Orleans could receive up to 20 inches (51 centimeters), said an official with the National Weather Service. Residents and officials in New Orleans were keeping a close eye on the city’s levees and pumps, which had undergone a $14-billion federal upgrade after the flood protection system had failed catastrophically during the much-stronger Hurricane Katrina.

A street intersection lies flooded near downtown New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck the city in August 2005. The hurricane caused many deaths and widespread damage. A combination of storm surge (a rapid rise in water levels produced when winds drive ocean waters ashore), heavy rainfall, and broken levees (walls to prevent flooding) caused water to cover most of the city. (© Chris Graythen, Getty Images)

Ahead of Isaac’s arrival, the governors of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi ordered mandatory evacuations in some counties. The next day, U.S. President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Louisiana. troops were placed on stand-by alert to help communities affected by the storm. New Orleans officials also declared a state of emergency and provided buses for people to wished to leave their homes voluntarily.

Before hitting the Gulf Coast, Isaac–then a tropical storm–had lashed central and southern Florida with heavy rains and strong winds. The storm also caused the deaths of 24 people in Haiti and widespread damage along that country’s southern coast. The storm left 5 people dead in neighboring Dominican Republic.

Additional World Book articles:

• Corps of Engineers
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• The Second Battle of New Orleans (a Special Report)
• City (2005) (a Back in Time article)
• Safety (2005) (a Back in Time article)
  

June 6, 2012

After record numbers of tornadoes wreaked widespread devastation in 2011, and above-average numbers of tornadoes marked the early months of 2012, meteorologists finally have some good news. For the first time in seven years, the month of May has passed without a single tornado fatality in the United States. The month’s numbers stand in stark contrast to those of May 2011, which recorded 178 fatalities.

Researchers at NOAA say favorable atmospheric conditions led to a smaller-than-average number of tornadoes in May 2012. (© Byron Turk, Center for Severe Weather Research)

Ordinarily, May represents peak tornado activity in the United States, with an average expectation of about 300 tornadoes, according to researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). May 2011 experienced a total of 326 tornadoes, compared with this year’s preliminary tornado count of 122 for the month. If the numbers are confirmed, the count may be the lowest for any May since 1954.

Why were skies so quiet during May? A lack of wind shear, a condition in which wind speeds and directions change rapidly over a short distance, may be one reason. Wind shear is a key ingredient for tornado formation, and abundant wind shear conditions helped lead to the 758 tornadoes that tore across the United States in April 2011. Another factor may be the jet stream, a band of fast-moving air currents at high altitudes. Typically, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico helps fuel tornadoes throughout Tornado Alley, a region that stretches across the Midwestern, Plains, and Southern states, especially Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. In 2012, the jet stream has been farther north, leading to drier air on the southern side of the current and fewer tornadic storms.

Additional World Book articles:

• Safety (During a tornado)
• Weather 2011 (a Back in Time article)

March 28, 2012

Damage to one of the reactors at Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is much worse than previously thought, Tokyo Electric Power Co. announced today. On March 27, workers were able to insert a probe into reactor #2. Radiation was found to be 10 times as great as a fatal dose, the highest level yet recorded at the plant. The probe also revealed that cooling water in the reactor vessel was only 24 inches (60 centimeters) from the bottom, far below the level estimated when the government declared the plant stable in December. The instrument used to assess damage inside the reactor chamber was equipped with a tiny video camera, a thermometer, a water gauge, and a dosimeter (a small device for measuring the doses of atomic radiation).

The Fukushima Daiichi plant was severely damaged on March 9, 2011, by one of the worst natural disaster in Japanese history–a magnitude 9 earthquake off Honshu, Japan’s main island. The earthquake, in turn, triggered a massive tsunami that resulted in the deaths of thousands of people.

Nuclear energy experts suggest that the other two reactors at Fukushima that underwent meltdowns could be in even more serious states. Because of extreme radiation levels, neither has been examined closely. Before the disaster, the Fukushima plant generated one-third of Japan’s electric power.

Public reaction to the meltdown at Fukushima has persuaded the Japanese government to shut down all but 1 of the nation’s 54 nuclear reactors in operation before the disaster. The last is to be switched off in May.

Additional World Book articles

• Energy supply
• Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011
• Three Mile Island
• Japan 1923 (Back in Time article)
• Japan 2011 (Back in Time article)
• Big Waves: Tracking Deadly Tsunamis (a special report)
• When the Earth Moves (a special report)