At press time survey teams have found 15 different tornadoes that touched down in Middle Tennessee during the December 10th to 11th outbreak. It was a time in the weather office that I will never forget and I don’t mean that in a good way. Tracking some of the worst tornadoes ever in December that moved from Arkansas to Kentucky and it was just unbelievable looking at the intensity and knowing that you are seeing life-changing events for thousands of people in those areas.
Here in Smith county a TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON UPPER FERRY ROAD IN CARTHAGE AND MOVED NORTHEAST ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF CARTHAGE UPROOTING SEVERAL SMALL TREES AND SNAPPING LARGE TREE LIMBS. THE STORM CROSSED THE CUMBERLAND RIVER AND CAUSED TREE DAMAGE AND MODERATE ROOF DAMAGE
TO A STRUCTURE ON MCLURES BEND LANE EAST OF CARTHAGE. THE TORNADO CONTINUED EAST, CROSSING THE CUMBERLAND RIVER AND SULLIVAN BEND BEFORE LIFTING ON WAYNICK ROAD IN JACKSON COUNTY WHERE IT CAUSED MINOR TREE DAMAGE. The tornado was about 75 yards wide and stayed on the ground for just over seven miles and produced Winds near 80 mph.
Debris from the Mayfield Kentucky storm was carried five miles up into the atmosphere, the wind less than a mile above the ground at one time hit 287 mph. One of the most incredible things that I was experiencing in my job is that I was talking about deadly tornadoes during the morning and area Christmas parades in the afternoon.
