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.

Overview of the Ringgold-Apison-Cleveland, GA-TN, EF4 Tornado – April 27, 2011

An extremely powerful tornado moved through the communities of Ringgold, Apison, and Cleveland during the evening of April 27, 2011. One of the most violent tornadoes to ever hit the area, this monster took the lives of 24 people and injured roughly 667. In order to fully tell the stories of the places affected and how they dealt with the disaster, the track has been divided into two summaries.

Apison-Cleveland, TN EF4 Tornado – April 27, 2011

“It left in its wake a path of devastation like this town has never seen and a level of terror the hearts of our people have never known.” – Rick Norton, Cleveland Daily Banner. During the evening of April 27, 2011, a catastrophic twister tore through several communities across southeastern Tennessee. This is the second portion of a two-part series on the Ringgold-Apison-Cleveland, GA-TN, EF4 tornado. Check out this premium summary by becoming a member!

Overview of the Hackleburg-Harvest-Huntland AL-TN Tornadoes of April 27, 2011

April 27, 2011, featured many uniquely violent and powerful tornadoes. However, one stands out above all others: Hackleburg. It produced one of the largest swaths of violent damage ever documented and, at the time, killed more people than any other single tornado since 1955. This page connects the five other summaries documenting the track, and provides basic statistical information on the event.

Overview of the Hackleburg-Harvest-Huntland AL-TN Tornadoes of April 27, 2011

April 27, 2011, featured many uniquely violent and powerful tornadoes. However, one stands out above all others: Hackleburg. It produced one of the largest swaths of violent damage ever documented and, at the time, killed more people than any other single tornado since 1955. This page connects the five other summaries documenting the track, and provides basic statistical information on the event.

Great Smoky Mountains, TN Tornadoes – April 27, 2011

The 2011 Super Outbreak reached far beyond populated areas into the wilderness. Deep in the Great Smoky Mountains, five tornadoes occurred on April 27 within five hours. These twisters repeatedly pounded areas of the Cherokee National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, tearing large chunks of forest from mountains and shutting down trails for months. Check out this premium summary by becoming a member!

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