The Immeasurable Cost of the December 10-11, 2021 Tornado Outbreak

Last year, many of us watched as storms tore apart lives and communities across Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, and Kentucky. After events of this magnitude, images depicting seas of wreckage where homes and businesses once stood can blind us to the true nature of the loss at hand. Ranging from six days to 98 years of age, a total of 92 people lost their lives during the tornado event. They were cherished as friends or family by thousands. This article details the stories of every one of those people, as well as all of the 23 significant tornadoes that formed during this event.

August 15

On This Day: August 15! The first known tornado outbreak in America occurred in 1787, The “Potomac Gale” caused the death of as many as 30 people in 1818, and an EF2 hits near Whitestown, IN! Get your daily dose of history!

August 14

On This Day: August 14! An F4 tornado moved through Deuel County, SD in 1898, Five tornadoes ripped through Grant County, MN in 2020, and a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in SW Haiti in 2021 kills over 2200 people! Get your daily dose of history!

August 13

On This Day: August 13! An F3 tornado hits parts of Stark County, OH in 1943, Tropical Storm Bonnie spawns an F2 near Rocky Point, NC in 2004, and Alfred Hitchcock is born! Get your daily dose of history!

August 12

On This Day: August 12! An F2 tornado moved near Winona, KS in 1893, an F2 at Wright, WY in 2005, and an EF3 pushed through parts of Burke & Ward Counties in ND in 2010! Get your daily dose of history!

August 11

On This Day: August 11! An F2 tornado moved north of Caribou, ME in 1954 killing two, a brief but violent F4 hit near Medina, ND in 2002, and the movie American Graffiti premiered in 1973! Get your daily dose of history!

August 10

On This Day: August 10! An F4 tornado leveled a farm killing 10 people at Thurman, CO in 1924, An EF2 tossed a grain bin near Holmes, ND in 2010, and a violent derecho moved through parts of IA in 2020! Get your daily dose of history!

August 8

On This Day: August 8! An F4 at Kalamazoo, MI in 1939, A swarm of millions of locusts carried by a thunderstorm gust front invaded Denver in 1874, and Dustin Hoffman is born! Get your daily dose of history!

August 7

On This Day: August 7! An F4 tornado moved from Osseo, WI to Black River Falls in 1924, an EF3 near Boscobel, WI in 2021, and an EF3 near Scarth, Manitoba in 2020! Get your daily dose of history!

You cannot copy content of this page