Two tornadoes that tracked from Tennessee into Kentucky have both been confirmed as the #1 and #2 longest tornadoes ever for the month of December in the US, and one made the top 10 of all-time for any month.
NWS confirms 2-long track tornadoes as longest-ever for December
The National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed that 2 Tornadoes that tore their way from Western Tennessee into Kentucky on Dec. 10, 2021, are the longest to have ever stayed on the ground during the month of December.
According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), two tornadoes that occurred on December 10, 2021, are both being added to the record books.
EF-4 tornado is December’s longest ever, in top 10 of all-time
The first tornado, and the #1 record holder for December, which is also in the top ten for the longest of all tornadoes at any time in the US, ripped its way from Western Tennessee past Beaver Dam in Kentucky. The twister, with a maximum strength of EF-4, stayed on the ground for 165.7 miles and had a maximum width of over one mile. During its trek, the tornado reached estimated peak winds of 190 mph.
The tornado was added to the top ten list of the longest tornadoes to ever occur in the US at any time, based on data going back to 1950 from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC), AccuWeather reported.
Longest tornado ever
The longest tornado of all time is the Tri-State Tornado that occurred on March 18, 1925. The EF-5 twister traveled from west-northwest of Ellington, Missouri, all the way across Illinois and into Oatesville, Indiana, trekking a total distance of 219 miles. At least 12 significant tornadoes were spawned on that day over a large portion of the Midwestern and southern United States.
EF-3 tornado is second-longest-ever for December
The NWS also confirmed that a second tornado that tore its way from Western Tennessee into southwestern Kentucky was the second-longest on record for the month of December. The EF-3 tornado stayed on the ground for 122.7 miles, with a width of 0.59 miles. The tornado broke the previous record by a single mile set on December 23, 1956, when a tornado traveled 121.7 miles.
Measuring EF-1 to EF-5
According to the Fujita Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage, each will demonstrate a 3-second wind gust:
· EF-1 tornado: between 86-109 mph
· EF-2 tornado: between 110-137 mph
· EF-3 tornado: between 138-167 mph
· EF-4 tornado: between 168-199 mph
· EF-5 tornado: between 200-234 mph
US has had no EF-5 tornadoes in 8 years
It has been 8 years since the US has recorded an EF-5 tornado.
The last EF-5 tornado was the “Moore Tornado” that touched down just northwest of Newcastle, Oklahoma on May 20, 2013. The twister had an estimated peak wind speed of 210 mph. At least 24 people were killed as a direct result of the tornado, with two other indirect fatalities, and 212 injured. The previous day, May 19, five other tornadoes struck portions of Central Oklahoma. The two previous days, May 18 and 19, several other tornadoes moved across the Great Plains.
Before 2013, the previous record for the longest gap between EF-5 tornadoes in the US was six years, from 2001 to 2007, Yale Climate Connections reports.
