www.nbcnews.com Open in urlscan Pro
2a02:26f0:3500:580::2506  Public Scan

Form analysis
3 forms found in the DOM

GET https://www.nbcnews.com/search

<form action="https://www.nbcnews.com/search" method="GET" class="search-form js-search-form"><label class="search-label" for="q" id="search_label">Search</label>
  <div class="search-inner"><input type="search" class="search-input js-search-input" aria-labelledby="search_label" id="q" name="q" placeholder="Search NBC News" tabindex="-1"><button class="search-button" tabindex="-1"><span
        class="search-button-icon"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="currentColor" aria-labelledby="search_title">
          <title class="search_title">Search</title>
          <path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M13.773 11.649L20 17.876 17.876 20l-6.227-6.227a7.508 7.508 0 112.124-2.124zm-6.265.364a4.505 4.505 0 100-9.01 4.505 4.505 0 000 9.01z"></path>
        </svg></span></button></div>
</form>

GET https://www.nbcnews.com/search

<form action="https://www.nbcnews.com/search" method="GET" class="search-form js-search-form"><label class="search-label" for="q" id="search_label">Search</label>
  <div class="search-inner"><input type="search" class="search-input js-search-input" aria-labelledby="search_label" id="q" name="q" placeholder="Search NBC News"><button class="search-button"><span class="search-button-icon"><svg
          xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="currentColor" aria-labelledby="search_title">
          <title class="search_title">Search</title>
          <path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M13.773 11.649L20 17.876 17.876 20l-6.227-6.227a7.508 7.508 0 112.124-2.124zm-6.265.364a4.505 4.505 0 100-9.01 4.505 4.505 0 000 9.01z"></path>
        </svg></span></button></div>
</form>

<form class="nl-signup-input__form"><input class="nl-signup-input__input" name="emailAddress" placeholder="Enter your email" required="" aria-required="true" type="email" minlength="3" value=""><button
    class="animated-ghost-button animated-ghost-button--normal nl-signup-input__button" id="email-subscribe-button" type="button">Sign Up</button></form>

Text Content

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another
browser.
SKIP TO CONTENT
NBC News Logo
Sponsored By

 * Politics
 * Plan Your Vote
 * U.S. News
 * World
 * Covid
 * Business
 * Opinion




'Quad-State Tornado' crossed four states in four hours, a rare December tornado

 * Share & Save —
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

Search
Search

Profile

 My NewsSign Out
 Sign InCreate your free profile

Sections

 * Coronavirus
 * U.S. News
 * Politics
 * World
 * Local
 * Business
 * Health
 * Investigations
 * Culture Matters
 * Science
 * Sports
 * Tech & Media
 * Decision 2022
 * Video Features
 * Photos
 * Weather
 * Select
 * Asian America
 * NBCBLK
 * NBC Latino
 * NBC OUT

tv

 * Today
 * Nightly News
 * MSNBC
 * Meet the Press
 * Dateline

Featured

 * NBC News Now
 * Think
 * Better
 * Nightly Films
 * Stay Tuned
 * Special Features
 * Newsletters
 * Podcasts

More From NBC

 * CNBC
 * NBC.COM
 * NBC Learn
 * Peacock
 * NEXT STEPS FOR VETS
 * Parent Toolkit
 * NBC News Site Map
 * Help

Follow NBC News

 * 
 * 
 * 

Search
Search
 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * Email
 * SMS
 * Print
 * Whatsapp
 * Reddit
 * Pocket
 * Flipboard
 * Pinterest
 * Linkedin

My NewsManage ProfileEmail PreferencesSign Out




Weather


'QUAD-STATE TORNADO' CROSSED FOUR STATES IN FOUR HOURS, A RARE DECEMBER TORNADO

The National Weather Service will confirm if a single tornado tracked over 200
miles from Arkansas to Kentucky, which could set the record for longest tornado
in U.S. history
00:01 /02:53

Tap to Unmute


KENTUCKY GOV. BESHEAR: TORNADO DEATH TOLL IS NORTH OF 70, MAY EXCEED 100

02:53

Link copied
Dec. 11, 2021, 3:29 PM UTC / Updated Dec. 12, 2021, 8:15 AM UTC
By Kathryn Prociv and Nicole Acevedo

One of the deadly tornadoes that erupted under the cloak of darkness overnight
Friday into the early hours of Saturday, leaving at least 70 dead, may have set
the record for the longest continuous tornado in American history.

The devastating outbreak, which included more than 30 tornado reports across six
states stretching across the Mississippi Valley, Southeast and Midwest, is also
an extremely rare event this late into the year.




One tornado, being called the "Quad-State Tornado" ripped across four states in
four hours (Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky), slamming communities
such as Monette, Arkansas, and Mayfield, Kentucky, which were two of the hardest
hit towns.


DRONE VIDEO CAPTURES KENTUCKY TORNADO DEVASTATION

Dec. 11, 202100:47


There were at least eight tornado emergencies issued, a designation which is
reserved for the most life-threatening tornado events when a confirmed large and
dangerous tornado is headed toward people.

The tornado that devastated the town of Mayfield was produced by a parent
thunderstorm that traveled more than 230 miles across four states over the
course of four hours.

Heavy damage downtown after a tornado swept through the area on Dec. 11, 2021 in
Mayfield, Ky.Brett Carlsen / Getty Images

The National Weather Service will perform the official tornado survey to confirm
if it was a continuous tornado or several tornadoes produced by the same storm.
If confirmed as one single and continuous tornado, it will set the record for
the longest “long-track” tornado in U.S. history.



The National Weather Service office in Little Rock said Saturday night that, so
far, there is no evidence of damage in Arkansas associated with the storm that
went on to produce the long-track tornado.

The longest on record is the “Tri-State” tornado from 1925, which tracked 219
miles across Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

While the National Weather Service provides the official intensities of the
tornadoes after conducting storm surveys, there are several indications that the
tornadoes, including the Mayfield one, were in the strong to violent categories,
which meteorologists consider EF3, EF4 or EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

One such indicator was debris lofted high into the air. Radar suggested that the
Mayfield tornado threw debris over 30,000 feet into the air. That's the altitude
commercial airplanes fly.



And this event was rare for December.


The devastation in Mayfield, Ky., at first light on Dec. 11, 2021, after
multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest.Ohio Valley Aerial /
via Facebook


Since 1950, there have only been 19 F/EF4 tornadoes in the U.S. during the last
month of the year and only 2 F/EF5 tornadoes.

The last EF4 tornado to strike the U.S. during the month of December was during
the Christmas Outbreak of December 2015.

Get the Morning Rundown

Get a head start on the morning's top stories.

Sign Up
This site is protected by recaptcha Privacy Policy | Terms of Service


The last EF5 tornado to strike the U.S. during the month of December was in
1957.




RECOMMENDED

U.S. news


U.S. NEWSTEXAS MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER IN FATAL SHOOTING OF WOMAN, 21, WHO BEAT
HIM AT BASKETBALL, POLICE AND FAMILY SAY

Russia-Ukraine Conflict


RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICTPUTIN'S MARTIAL LAW ORDERS SIGNAL CHANGES TO RUSSIAN LIFE
MAY ONLY JUST BE STARTING

An EF5 tornado is the strongest designation a tornado can receive. Exceptionally
rare, these tornadoes can produce wind speeds higher than 200 mph. The last EF5
tornado to strike the U.S. was Moore, Oklahoma, in May of 2013. That was 3,125
days ago and the longest streak on record.

This event was caused by a volatile atmospheric set up that was primed to
produce violent and long-track tornadoes. Friday featured unseasonably warm and
record-setting temperatures that felt more like Spring than mid-December. This
warmth, combined with high humidity, provided ample fuel for the storms.

A woman searches for valuables amidst the remnants of a home on Dec. 11, 2021 on
Highway F in Defiance, Mo.Christian Gooden / St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP

As the day progressed, the wind fields strengthened helping to create the
dynamics, or "spin," in the atmosphere needed to produce tornadoes.

A cold front charging through the region provided the trigger for the storms,
which with all the ingredients in place created ripe conditions for a tornado
outbreak.



Compounding the favorable atmospheric ingredients is the fact that the United
States is currently in a La Niña pattern, which historically increases tornado
frequency across the Mississippi Valley.

And climate change may also have played a role.

Research reveals that climate change may be causing tornado alley to shift East,
out of traditional tornado alley of the Great Plains and into parts of the
Mississippi Valley.

Local residents walk past the scene of a train derailment after a devastating
outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several states in Earlington, Ky., on Dec.
11, 2021.Cheney Orr / Reuters

While meteorologists and climate scientists cannot yet say that tornado
frequency is increasing globally due to climate change, it can be said with
relative certainty that tornado frequency and associated vulnerability is
increasing for the Mississippi Valley and Midwestern regions of the United
States.



During a Saturday evening press conference President Joe Biden addressed what
role climate change may have played in the disaster. "Well, all I know is the
intensity of the weather across the board has some impact as a consequence of
the warming of the planet. The specific impact on these specific storms I can't
say at this point. I'm going to be asking the EPA and others to take a look at
that," Biden said. "But the fact is we all know everything is more intense when
the climate is warming. Everything."



Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear described the tornado as the most devastating one to
hit the state, estimating that it might have killed at least 70 people or more
than 100.

That will make this event not just one of the deadliest tornado events in
Kentucky history, but also in U.S. history, and potentially the deadliest
December outbreak on record.

Nighttime tornadoes are more than twice as likely to cause fatalities than their
daytime counterparts. That's because tornadoes are harder to see at night, and
people who are sleeping often don't have a way to be woken when warnings are
issued.


Kathryn Prociv

Kathryn Prociv is a senior meteorologist and producer for NBC News. 


Nicole Acevedo

Nicole Acevedo is a reporter for NBC News Digital. She reports, writes and
produces stories for NBC Latino and NBCNews.com.



 * About
 * Contact
 * Help
 * Careers
 * Ad Choices
 * Privacy Policy
 * Cookie Notice
 * CA Notice
 * Terms of Service
 * NBC News Sitemap
 * Advertise
 * Select Shopping
 * Select Personal Finance

© 2022 NBC UNIVERSAL

NBC News LogoMSNBC LogoToday Logo



WE AND OUR PARTNERS USE COOKIES ON THIS SITE TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICE, PERFORM
ANALYTICS, PERSONALIZE ADVERTISING, MEASURE ADVERTISING PERFORMANCE, AND
REMEMBER WEBSITE PREFERENCES. BY USING THE SITE, YOU CONSENT TO THESE COOKIES.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON COOKIES INCLUDING HOW TO MANAGE YOUR CONSENT VISIT OUR
COOKIE POLICY.
CONTINUE


COOKIE NOTICE

This Cookie Notice (“Notice”) explains how NBCUniversal and its affiliates
(“NBCUniversal” or “we”), along with our partners, including advertisers and
vendors, use cookies and similar tracking technologies when you use our
websites, applications, such as games, interactive TV, voice-activated
assistants, and other services that link to this policy, as well as connected
devices, including those used in our theme parks (“Services”). This Notice
provides more information about these technologies, your choices, and is part of
the NBCUniversal Privacy Policy available here. You should read the Privacy
Policy and this Notice for a full picture of NBCUniversal’s use of your
information.

WHAT ARE COOKIES AND HOW ARE THEY USED?

Like many companies, we use cookies (small text files placed on your computer or
device) and other tracking technologies on the Services (referred to together
from this point forward as “Cookies”, unless otherwise stated), including HTTP
cookies, HTML5 and Flash local storage/flash cookies, web beacons/GIFs, embedded
scripts, ETags/cache browsers, and software development kits.

First-party Cookies

First-party Cookies are placed by us (including through the use of third-party
service providers) and are used to allow you to use the Services and their
features and to assist in analytics activities.

Third-party Cookies

Certain third parties may place their Cookies on your device and use them to
recognize your device when you visit the Services and when you visit other
websites or online services. These third parties collect and use this
information pursuant to their own privacy policies. Third-party Cookies enable
certain features or functionalities, and advertising, to be provided on the
Services.

Types of Cookies

The Services use the following types of first and third-party Cookies for these
purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies: These Cookies are required for Service
functionality, including for system administration, security and fraud
prevention, and to enable any purchasing capabilities. You can set your browser
to block these Cookies, but some parts of the site may not function properly.

Information Storage and Access: These Cookies allow us and our partners to store
and access information on the device, such as device identifiers.

Measurement and Analytics: These Cookies collect data regarding your usage of
and performance of the Services, apply market research to generate audiences,
and measure the delivery and effectiveness of content and advertising. We and
our third-party vendors use these Cookies to perform analytics, so we can
improve the content and user experience, develop new products and services, and
for statistical purposes. They are also used to recognize you and provide
further insights across platforms and devices for the above purposes.

Personalization Cookies: These Cookies enable us to provide certain features,
such as determining if you are a first-time visitor, capping message frequency,
remembering choices you have made (e.g., your language preferences, time zone),
and assist you with logging in after registration (including across platforms
and devices). These Cookies also allow your device to receive and send
information, so you can see and interact with ads and content.

Content Selection and Delivery Cookies: Data collected under this category can
also be used to select and deliver personalized content, such as news articles
and videos.

Ad Selection and Delivery Cookies: These Cookies are used to collect data about
your browsing habits, your use of the Services, your preferences, and your
interaction with advertisements across platforms and devices for the purpose of
delivering interest-based advertising content on the Services and on third-party
sites. Third-party sites and services also use interest-based Advertising
Cookies to deliver content, including advertisements relevant to your interests
on the Services and third-party services. If you reject these Cookies, you may
see contextual advertising that may be less relevant to you.

Social Media Cookies: These Cookies are set by social media platforms on the
Services to enable you to share content with your friends and networks. Social
media platforms have the ability to track your online activity outside of the
Services. This may impact the content and messages you see on other services you
visit.

We and third parties may associate Measurement And Analytics Cookies,
Personalization Cookies, Content Selection, Delivery Cookies, and Reporting, Ad
Selection, Delivery and Reporting Cookies, and Social Media Cookies with other
information we have about you.

COOKIE MANAGEMENT

Depending on where you live, you may be able to adjust your Cookie preferences
at any time via the “Cookie Settings” link in the footer of relevant websites.
You can also use the methods described below to manage Cookies. You must take
such steps on each browser or device that you use. If you replace, change or
upgrade your browser or device, or delete your cookies, you may need to use
these opt-out tools again. As some Cookie-management solutions also rely on
Cookies, please adjust your browser Cookie settings carefully, following the
relevant instructions below.

Browser Controls: You may be able to disable and manage some Cookies through
your browser settings. If you use multiple browsers on the same device, you will
need to manage your settings for each browser. Please click on any of the below
browser links for instructions:

Google Chrome
Apple Safari
Mozila Firefox
Microsoft Internet Explorer

If the browser you use is not listed above, please refer to your browser’s help
menu for information on how to manage Cookies. Please be aware that disabling
cookies will not disable other analytics tools we may use to collect information
about you or your use of our Services.

Analytics Provider Opt-Outs: To disable analytics Cookies you can use the
browser controls discussed above or, for some of our providers, you can use
their individual opt-out mechanisms:

Google’s Privacy Policy and Google Analytics Opt-Out
Omniture’s Privacy Policy and Omniture’s Opt-Out
Mixpanel’s Privacy Policy and Mixpanel’s Opt-Out

The above are examples of our analytics providers and this is not an exhaustive
list. We are not responsible for the effectiveness of any other providers’
opt-out mechanisms.

Flash Local Storage: These cookies are also known as local shared objects and
may be used to store your preferences or display content by us, advertisers and
other third-parties. Flash cookies need to be deleted in the storage section of
your Flash Player Settings Manager.

Interest-Based Advertising: Most third-party advertisers offer a way to opt out
of their interest-based advertising. For more information or to opt out of
receiving interest-based advertising from participating third-party advertisers,
depending on your country of residence, please visit:

Digital Advertising Alliance in the US
Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada
European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance
Australian Digital Advertising Alliance

You can also opt out of some of the advertising providers we use by visiting
their opt-out pages:

Google’s Privacy Policy and Google Analytics Opt-Out Page
Facebook Privacy Policy and Facebook’s Opt-Out Page
Twitter Privacy Policy and Twitter’s Opt-Out Page
Liveramp’s Privacy Policy and Liveramp Opt-Out Page

These are examples of our advertising providers and this is not an exhaustive
list. In addition, we are not responsible for the effectiveness of any of these
providers’ opt-out mechanisms.

After you opt out, you will still see advertisements, but they may not be as
relevant to you.

Mobile Settings: You may manage the collection of information for interest-based
advertising purposes in mobile apps via the device’s settings, including
managing the collection of location data. To opt out of mobile ad tracking from
Nielsen or other third parties, you can do so by selecting the “Limit Ad
Tracking” (for iOS devices) or “Opt out of Ads Personalization” (for Android
devices) options in your device settings.

Connected Devices: For connected devices, such as smart TVs or streaming
devices, you should review the device’s settings and select the option that
allows you to disable automatic content recognition or ad tracking. Typically,
to opt out, such devices require you to select options like “limit ad tracking”
or to disable options such as “interest-based advertising,” “interactive TV,” or
“smart interactivity”. These settings vary by device type.

Cross-Device Tracking: If you would like to opt out of our browser-based
cross-device tracking for advertising purposes, you may do so by using the
various methods described above. You must opt out separately on each device and
each browser that you use. For more information about cross-device matching,
please visit the Network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising
Alliance. If you opt out of cross-device tracking for advertising purposes, we
may still conduct cross-device tracking for other purposes, such as analytics.

Consequences of Deactivation of Cookies: If you disable or remove Cookies, some
parts of the Services may not function properly. Information may still be
collected and used for other purposes, such as research, online services
analytics or internal operations, and to remember your opt-out preferences.



CONTACT US

For inquiries about this Cookies Notice, please contact us at Privacy@nbcuni.com
or Chief Privacy Officer, NBCUniversal Legal Department, 30 Rockefeller Plaza,
New York, NY 10112, US.

For inquiries from users who reside in the European Economic Area, the United
Kingdom or Switzerland, please contact us at Privacy@nbcuni.com or Privacy,
Legal Department, Central Saint Giles, St Giles High Street, London, WC2H 8NU,
UK

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

This Notice may be revised occasionally and in accordance with legal
requirements. Please revisit this Cookie Notice regularly to stay informed about
our and our analytic and advertising partners’ use of Cookies.

STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES

Always Active

These Cookies are required for Service functionality, including security and
fraud prevention, and to enable any purchasing capabilities. You can set your
browser to block these Cookies, but some parts of the site may not function
properly.


BACK BUTTON PERFORMANCE COOKIES



Vendor Search Search Icon
Filter Icon

Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label

Close