Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Tornado outbreak of December 23–25, 2015

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Type
  
Tornado outbreak

Max rating
  
EF4 tornado

Tornadoes confirmed
  
38

Tornado outbreak of December 23–25, 2015

Duration
  
December 23, 2015 (2015-12-23) – December 25, 2015 (2015-12-25)

Duration of tornado outbreak
  
2 days, 14 hours, 32 minutes

Highest winds
  
170 mph (270 km/h) (Holly Springs, Mississippi EF4 tornado) 90–100 mph (140–160 km/h) near Black Gnat, Kentucky on December 23

On December 23, 2015, an outbreak of supercell thunderstorms produced tornadoes across northern Mississippi and middle Tennessee, resulting in 13 tornado-related deaths and numerous injuries. Other tornadoes occurred as far north as Indiana and Michigan. This was the first of two deadly tornado outbreaks to impact the southern United States during December 2015.

Contents

Outbreak summary

On the evening of December 23, a significant tornado outbreak affected the Midwest and South, producing tornadoes mainly across Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. One of the first tornadoes of the event was an EF1 tornado that touched down in Greenwood, Indiana, where several homes sustained damage. Another tornado caused damage to homes in the Indianapolis suburb of Noblesville. In Illinois, a tornado destroyed multiple outbuildings and downed trees near the town of Sciota. The outbreak also spawned the only known tornado to touch down in Michigan during the month of December, an EF1 that struck the Detroit suburb of Canton, causing considerable damage to vehicles, an industrial park, and a gas station. Further south, a strong EF2 tornado occurred near Marianna, Arkansas, completely destroying mobile homes, tearing roofs off of frame homes, and damaging cabins in the area. A large EF3 tornado eventually touched down south of Clarksdale, Mississippi, killing two people and severely damaging or destroying about 15 homes in that area. The tornado continued to the northeast, later snapping trees and destroying homes near Marks and Como before dissipating. The same parent supercell produced another tornado further east of Como, a violent EF4 that struck the town of Holly Springs, where two people were killed and a motor sports park and many homes were destroyed. Multiple additional people were killed further along the path near Ashland as well, where multiple homes were destroyed and pavement was scoured from roads. The Holly Springs tornado eventually crossed into Tennessee, causing major damage near Middleton, then destroying additional homes in the Selmer area, killing 10 people in all before dissipating. Another destructive EF3 tornado struck the small community of Lutts, Tennessee after dark, destroying multiple homes and a church, and completely leveling the town's post office. Significant tornado activity continued through parts of Mississippi and Tennessee overnight, including an EF2 that killed an elderly couple in their small, unanchored home near Linden, Tennessee. In total, the outbreak produced a total of 13 tornado-related deaths and numerous injuries. Additional scattered tornado activity occurred on the 24th and 25th, including a high-end EF2 that caused heavy damage in the southwestern part of Birmingham, Alabama on Christmas.

Holly Springs/Ashland, Mississippi–Selmer, Tennessee

This violent and deadly wedge tornado touched down in Tate County, Mississippi to the southwest of Holly Springs, initially only causing EF0 tree damage. The tornado rapidly intensified to EF3 strength as it entered Marshall County, obliterating several mobile homes and sweeping away multiple unanchored block foundation homes. A 12-year-old child survived being thrown 300 yards in this area when the mobile home he was in disintegrated. The tornado continued towards Holly Springs, prompting a tornado emergency and leveling a church at high-end EF3 strength. Brick homes in the area had their roofs removed and exterior walls collapsed. The tornado then impacted the south edge of town, causing major damage to a motor sports park, snapping numerous hardwood trees, and destroying homes in the area. Two people were killed in Holly Springs, and several others were injured. The tornado continued to intensify as it entered Benton County and passed to the northeast of Ashland, where it reached very high-end EF3 strength as it completely flattened several poorly anchored frame homes, scoured pavement from a road, mangled vehicles beyond recognition, and killed multiple people. An unanchored home in this area was completely obliterated and swept away along with its block foundation, leaving little trace behind. Trees in the area were debarked, a metal warehouse building was damaged, and a brick church had its roof torn off as well.

Continuing to the northeast, the tornado reached EF4 strength near the rural community of Canaan, where trees were debarked and a large home was completely leveled and mostly swept away, leaving much of the foundation slab bare. Two other homes in this area were heavily damaged at EF2 strength. The tornado continued into Tippah County at EF3 strength as it destroyed several homes and a metal warehouse building near Walnut. The tornado maintained EF3 intensity crossed the state line into Tennessee, entering Hardeman County and passing near Middleton, damaging several homes in the area. Continuing into McNairy County, the tornado destroyed several additional homes at the south edge of Selmer before dissipating. Overall, 9 people were killed along the path and many others were injured.

References

Tornado outbreak of December 23–25, 2015 Wikipedia