Tragic images emerged Saturday morning of the wreckage that was left after numerous tornadoes hit several Midwest and southern states late last night and early this morning.
At least 30 tornadoes were reported throughout Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. The largest tornado that struck the region tore through more than 220 miles in Kentucky.
Hundreds of thousands of homes were left without power, including 136,000+ in Tennessee, approximately 60,000 in Kentucky, 25,000+ in Arkansas, roughly 24,000 in Illinois, and nearly 10,000 in Missouri.
Some of the most devastating scenes included a collapsed Amazon warehouse and a candle factory that was destroyed with more than 100 people inside.
Below are some of the initial images coming out of the impacted areas:
Parts of Bowling Green absolutely ravaged. Please everyone stay safe today. 💔 pic.twitter.com/8GEpL4xthm
— wxornotBG (@wxornotBG) December 11, 2021
Kentucky Rep. @JamesComer on CNN talking about candle factory in his district,
"It's heart-wrenching. There were people there throughout the night…they didn't think there would be any survivors. They could hear people yelling for help and they pulled people out." #tornadoes pic.twitter.com/2hYDD6m0H6
— Eva McKend (@evamckend) December 11, 2021
Horrific sight at first light from #tornado damage in #Mayfield Kentucky. #Wxtwitter pic.twitter.com/KSjTpko9nz
— WxChasing- Brandon Clement (@bclemms) December 11, 2021
Damage to the courthouse in downtown Mayfield is much worse than photos could show in the middle of the night. #kywx pic.twitter.com/Y5LI5UxXjA
— Whitney Westerfield (@KyWhitney) December 11, 2021
I arrived here in Mayfield KY just moments ago to the factory where multiple casualties have been reported. A horrific landscape. @foxweather pic.twitter.com/AU1GGSnM4a
— Will Nunley (@willnunley) December 11, 2021
932PM: Mayfield, Kentucky (a town of nearly 10,000 folks) just took what appears to be a direct hit by a violent, potentially deadly tornado. This is horrific… #kywx pic.twitter.com/B1Y7GmixHF
— Texas Storm Chasers (@TxStormChasers) December 11, 2021
We got this shot from a lake house on Lake Barkley… we just down from Boyd’s Landing. The tornado was tracking across the lakes at this time.
Absolutely remarkable shot. pic.twitter.com/srIjynMV7B
— Noah Bergren (@NbergWX) December 11, 2021
A devastating tornado outbreak in western Kentucky has claimed the lives of at least 50 people, governor says. https://t.co/KKbrq3DyPg pic.twitter.com/Zgicfkq1ZC
— ABC News (@ABC) December 11, 2021
Video of the tornado that hit the Amazon facility near Edwardsville, IL tonight… from Danielle Henke pic.twitter.com/5CNbJ03VzI
— James Spann (@spann) December 11, 2021
Massive mesocyclone with a wedge #tornado below approaching Hayti, MO, sadly causing substantial damage. This is the longest track tornado I have ever chased, but could not keep up it across the four states. More tornado warnings in western TN pic.twitter.com/ru6T1YTi5j
— Reed Timmer (@ReedTimmerAccu) December 11, 2021
MONSTER wedge #tornado just after passing through Monette, AR earlier this evening. Reports of casualties. Long-track tornado continues near Hickman, TN @accuweather pic.twitter.com/owIWUmOucu
— Reed Timmer (@ReedTimmerAccu) December 11, 2021
Town center of #Mayfield is basically gone. Just about every building destroyed. @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/AarC3DHyFM
— Travis Ragsdale (@TravisRagsdale) December 11, 2021
BREAKING: At least 50 people killed in Mayfield, KY in ovenight tornado, per Gov. Beshear.
📸: Angela Robinson, @WLKY viewer pic.twitter.com/Q9dVUq9s86
— Julie Dolan (@WLKYJulie) December 11, 2021
.@TWCChrisBruin is live in Mayfield, KY this morning, reporting on the widespread tornado damage from last night.
Turn to The Weather Channel for continuous coverage all day long. pic.twitter.com/og6Kfem3Jc
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) December 11, 2021
WATCH: Aerial footage shows tornado aftermath in Mayfield, Kentucky pic.twitter.com/8bbc2q1klE
— BNO News (@BNONews) December 11, 2021
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency and requested that the Biden administration declare an emergency disaster for the state.
“One tornado struck the City of Mayfield which is reporting major damages to public facilities, businesses, and residences. It is reported that a Graves County factory has collapsed, trapping workers and we believe there are at least 50 fatalities,” Beshear said in a statement. “Debris covering emergency vehicle buildings has hampered search and rescue efforts. In Hopkins County, a train carrying hazardous materials has been derailed by a tornado. Vegetative and construction debris cover a multitude of county, state, and federal routes. At this point, at least 17 Kentucky counties have experienced tornadic activity and debris fields. The event is ongoing.”
More than 16 million Americans were subjected to tornado watches last night in nine states as the massive stormfront moved through America’s heartland.
AccuWeather reported:
The three-year average from 2018 to 2021 for tornadoes in December across the U.S. is 47, according to the SPC. Some Decembers are more active in terms of tornadoes compared to others. In 2018, there were 66 tornadoes reported, compared to just 18 in 2020.
AccuWeather meteorologists remain concerned that the risk of severe thunderstorms may extend as far north as southern Michigan and northern Ohio early Saturday. Following building warmth and humidity, the lid came off the atmosphere Friday evening as a cold front moved in from the west and lead to explosive thunderstorm development.
During a press conference, Beshear said that as the day progressed, people needed to brace themselves for “more tough news.”
“It has been one of the toughest nights in Kentucky history,” he said. “Some areas have been hit in ways that are hard to put into words.”
Democrat President Joe Biden responded to the news with a statement saying that he was working with governors in the affected states to provide the resources that they needed.
“This morning, I was briefed on the devastating tornadoes across the central U.S. To lose a loved one in a storm like this is an unimaginable tragedy,” Biden said. “We’re working with Governors to ensure they have what they need as the search for survivors and damage assessments continue.”