List of United States tornadoes from November to December 2009
Between November and December 2009, 51 tornadoes touched down across eight states.[note 1] Collectively, the tornadoes injured nine people and wrought $20.36 million,[note 2] much of which resulted from an EF3—the strongest tornado during the two-month period—that struck Lufkin, Texas, on December 23.[1] Compared to annual averages, November was one of the quietest on record while December was one of the most active on record for their respective months. With only three confirmed events in November, the month ranks as the third quietest on record since 1950.[note 3][2] The opposite is true for December, during which 48 tornadoes touched down; at the time, this was the second highest since 2000 and the sixth highest since reliable records began.[4]
Reflectivity (left) and relative velocity (right) radar loops of a thunderstorm that spawned an EF2 tornado in Longview, Texas, on December 23
The month of November featured no tornado outbreaks[note 4] while December featured two. The first spawned 7 tornadoes on December 2 and the second, more prolific event, resulted in 28 tornadoes from December 23–24.[4] Twelve tornadoes touched down within the warning area of the National Weather Service office in Lake Charles, Louisiana—the largest such event in their jurisdiction since November 23, 2004.[6] Both outbreaks were the result of strong extratropical cyclones that moved across the Southern United States, with tornadoes primarily developing along a cold front that extended south of the system's center or within supercells ahead of the front.[4]
Daily statistics
A welding shop near Lufkin, Texas, that was severely damaged by an EF3 tornado on December 23
A mobile home that was destroyed by an EF2 tornado in Gueydan, Louisiana, on December 24
| Date | Total | Enhanced Fujita scale rating | Deaths | Injuries | Damage | Ref. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | ||||||
| November 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $35,000 | [1] |
| November 29 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $75,000 | [1] |
| December 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $3,235,000 | [1] |
| December 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $2,000 | [1] |
| December 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $50,000 | [1] |
| December 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $0 | [1] |
| December 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $3,000 | [1] |
| December 18 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $90,000 | [1] |
| December 23 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $11,251,100 | [1] |
| December 24 | 19 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | $5,732,000 | [1] |
| Monthly aggregates | |||||||||||
| November total | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $110,000 | [1] |
| December total | 48 | 28 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | $20,363,000 | [1] |
November
November 6
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Damage | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | WNW of Neotsu | Lincoln | OR | 45.01°N 124.01°W | 0530–0540 | 0.09 miles (0.14 km) | 80 yards (73 m) | $35,000 | A strong thunderstorm produced a waterspout along the coastline near Lincoln City. Once onshore and classifiable as a tornado, the system tracked through Roads End, damaging eleven homes and three cars. One home had nearly half its roof destroyed. Several trees were also uprooted and/or snapped; one tree was tossed roughly 20 yd (18 m) by the tornado.[7] |
November 29
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Damage | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | NW of Douglas | Cochise | AZ | 31.4114°N 109.6219°W | 1757 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | 50 yards (46 m) | $0 | A trained spotter confirmed that a funnel cloud briefly touched down before dissipating.[8] |
| EF1 | NNW of New Boston | Bowie | TX | 33.4744°N 94.4295°W | 2357–2358 | 3.32 miles (5.34 km) | 75 yards (69 m) | $75,000 | A brief tornado touched down just outside the city of New Boston, destroying a mobile home and damaging four other structures. Shortly after crossing Interstate 30, the tornado dissipated.[9] |
December
December 2
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Damage | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | SE of Crestview | Okaloosa | FL | 30°43′N 86°33′W | 1332 | unknown | A brief tornado was reported by the Duke Field Fire Department at Eglin Air Force Base but no damage took place.[10] | ||
| EF0 | E of Juliette | Jones | GA | 33°05′N 83°44′W | 1830 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | A short-lived tornado, with winds estimated at 80 mph (130 km/h), tracked through a forested area, damaging 50 to 100 trees worth a total of $15,000.[11] | ||
| EF0 | W of Eatonton | Putnam | GA | 33°19′N 83°27′W | 1855 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Another short-lived tornado touched down in a forested area, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. With winds estimated at 85 mph (140 km/h), this tornado nearly 500 trees were uprooted or damaged. Two hunters in the forest at the time were trapped by the felled trees and required rescue, though they sustained no injuries. Losses were placed at $100,000 in the national forest.[12] | ||
| EF1 | NE of Eatonton | Putnam | GA | 33°26′N 83°19′W | 1902 | 0.8 miles (1.3 km) | A second tornado in Putnam County struck a more populated area; two structures were damaged and another destroyed. A mobile home was rolled on its side by the tornado but the occupant was unharmed. Hundreds of trees and several power lines were also felled by the tornado. Total losses were placed at $120,000.[13] | ||
| EF0 | E of Douglas | Coffee | GA | 31.51°N 82.75°W | 1915 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Intermittent tornado touchdown snapped some trees, a few landing on weak buildings. | ||
| EF1 | NW of Alma | Bacon | GA | 31.62°N 82.57°W | 1945 | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) | Three chicken houses were destroyed. | ||
| EF2 | NNW of Bristol | Pierce, Appling | GA | 31.50°N 82.24°W | 2015 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | A mobile home and three metal structures were destroyed, one of which was flattened. Five other structures - including three wood frame houses - were also damaged. Two people were injured. | ||
December 8
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Damage | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | NNW of Carthage | Leake | MS | 32.8102°N 89.5695°W | 0235–0240 | 6.54 miles (10.53 km) | 75 yards (69 m) | $2,000 | A weak tornado downed numerous tree limbs along its path.[14] |
December 9
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Damage | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | NE of Lake Jackson | Leon | FL | 30.5399°N 84.3207°W | 1705–1706 | 0.64 miles (1.03 km) | 50 yards (46 m) | $50,000 | A tornado touched down near Lake Jackson and traveled east-northeast. One home lost a large portion of its shingles with debris carried 50 to 100 ft (15 to 30 m) away. The tornado also snapped three large trees in the home's backyard.[15] |
| EF1 | ESE of Jesup | Wayne | GA | 31.5872°N 81.8473°W | 1915–1925 | 1.6 miles (2.6 km) | 250 yards (230 m) | Unknown | A mobile home and shed were destroyed, with debris thrown 0.25 mi (0.40 km) away; one person inside the mobile home was injured. A school bus was tossed into a ditch; the driver escaped without injury. Numerous trees and power lines were snapped along the tornado's path.[16] |
December 14
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Damage | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | ESE of Java | Coffee | AL | 31.53°N 85.79°W | 2220 | unknown | Brief tornado touchdown in an open field. | ||
| EF0 | NW of Rocky Head | Coffee | AL | 31.56°N 85.77°W | 2225 | unknown | Brief tornado downed a few trees. | ||
December 15
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Damage | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | Westwego | Jefferson | LA | 29.90°N 90.11°W | 1120 | unknown | Brief tornado snapped large tree limbs and power lines along the Westbank Expressway. | ||
December 18
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Damage | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | E of Homestead | Miami-Dade | FL | 25.47°N 80.39°W | 1600 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Tornado touched down in an unpopulated area. | ||
| EF0 | Key West | Monroe | FL | 24.56°N 81.78°W | 1935 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Several trees were snapped, with debris downing a few power lines. | ||
| EF0 | E of Vandolah | Hardee | FL | 27.53°N 81.92°W | 2058 | unknown | Brief narrow tornado damaged a few buildings and vehicles at the Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation. | ||
| EF0 | Key Largo | Monroe | FL | 25.13°N 80.40°W | 2255 | unknown | Brief tornado at mile 104 on the Overseas Highway with minor damage. | ||
December 23
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Damage | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | NE of Jacksonville | Cherokee | TX | 32.00°N 95.15°W | 2035 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Damage limited to a few trees. | ||
| EF0 | NE of New Summerfield | Cherokee | TX | 32.08°N 95.00°W | 2104 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Damage limited to a few trees. | ||
| EF2 | Longview area | Gregg | TX | 32.52°N 94.67°W | 2239 | 7 miles (11 km) | Numerous industrial buildings, including a FedEx building, were heavily damaged. Several houses were also damaged and significant tree damage along its path. | ||
| EF1 | SE of Avinger | Cass | TX | 32.89°N 94.50°W | 2351 | 50 yards (50 m) | Brief tornado in a wooded area damaged numerous trees and tree branches. | ||
| EF0 | NNE of Recklaw | Rusk | TX | 31.97°N 94.95°W | 0116 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | Brief tornado snapped a few trees. | ||
| EF3 | Lufkin area | Angelina | TX | 31.33°N 94.73°W | 0356 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Three buildings were destroyed, including a welding shop and a funeral home. Many houses sustained significant roof damage and tree damage was widespread, including in a park. Several 18-wheelers were also thrown. Two people were injured. | ||
| EF1 | SE of Atlanta | Cass (TX), Miller (AR) | TX, AR | 33.04°N 94.06°W | 0410 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | One house sustained minor roof damage, and many trees and limbs were damaged. | ||
| EF1 | SE of Garrison | Nacogdoches | TX | 31.80°N 94.47°W | 0437 | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) | Several trees were snapped and a small storage building was destroyed. | ||
| EF2 | SW of Carthage | Shelby, Panola | TX | 31.92°N 94.38°W | 0526 | 11 miles (18 km) | Many houses were damaged, including roof and shingle damage. A barn and two mobile homes were destroyed. | ||
December 24
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Damage | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | E of Pineland | Sabine | TX | 31.29°N 93.93°W | 0810 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | Numerous trees and a few power lines were snapped. | ||
| EF0 | S of Pleasant Hill | Sabine | LA | 31.75°N 93.51°W | 0924 | 1.2 miles (1.9 km) | Several pecan trees were uprooted. | ||
| EF0 | E of Fairmont | Sabine | TX | 31.20°N 93.73°W | 0928 | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) | Brief tornado with damage to trees and power lines along Toledo Bend Reservoir. | ||
| EF0 | N of Many | Sabine | LA | 31.58°N 93.50°W | 1021 | 2.6 miles (4.2 km) | Numerous large pine trees were uprooted. | ||
| EF0 | SW of Martin | Red River | LA | 32.02°N 93.21°W | 1136 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | A few large trees were downed. | ||
| EF2 | Whiteville area | St. Landry, Avoyelles | LA | 30.79°N 92.16°W | 1325 | 10 miles (16 km) | A small church on cinder blocks was destroyed. A rice silo was thrown into a bayou and two tractor-trailers were also damaged. | ||
| EF2 | N of Crowley | Acadia | LA | 30.28°N 92.38°W | 1327 | 7 miles (11 km) | At least 30 houses were damaged, primarily in a single subdivision that was especially hard hit where four houses were heavily damaged. The worst damage was a house that completely lost its roof. Four people were injured. | ||
| EF0 | E of Evergreen | Avoyelles | LA | 30.95°N 92.10°W | 1337 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | Several trees were damaged. | ||
| EF0 | W of Branch | Acadia | LA | 30.35°N 92.33°W | 1340 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | A small outbuilding was destroyed and a few trees were blown down. | ||
| EF0 | Richard area (1st tornado) | Acadia | LA | 30.42°N 92.31°W | 1346 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Several trees were blown down, and a mobile home and barn were damaged. | ||
| EF1 | Richard area (2nd tornado) | Acadia | LA | 30.43°N 92.32°W | 1350 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | A house and a church were damaged in town. Many trees were also damaged. | ||
| EF1 | N of Iota | Acadia | LA | 30.38°N 92.49°W | 1350 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | A barn was destroyed, and two mobile homes lost their roofs. | ||
| EF0 | W of Savoy | Acadia, St. Landry | LA | 30.47°N 92.31°W | 1353 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | A barn was damaged, along with many trees. | ||
| EF2 | Gueydan area (1st tornado) | Vermilion | LA | 29.98°N 92.53°W | 1357 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | Two structures were destroyed - a mobile home which rolled and an outbuilding which was thrown into a water tower, and over 50 others were damaged, some of them heavily. | ||
| EF0 | S of Chataignier | St. Landry, Evangeline | LA | 30.52°N 92.31°W | 1358 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | An outbuilding was damaged by the tornado. | ||
| EF0 | NW of Long Bridge | Avoyelles | LA | 31.03°N 92.03°W | 1359 | unknown | A mobile home was heavily damaged by the brief tornado. | ||
| EF1 | Gueydan area (2nd tornado) | Vermilion | LA | 30.08°N 92.48°W | 1405 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Tornado quickly touched down after the first Gueydan tornado dissipated. Three houses and an entire farm were damaged. | ||
| EF1 | W of Farmerville | Union | LA | 32.77°N 92.54°W | 1420 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | Two houses were damaged on the shores of Lake Darbonne. Many trees were snapped or knocked down. | ||
| EF0 | E of Vancleave | Jackson | MS | 31.29°N 93.93°W | 2150 | unknown | Brief tornado damaged a few trees. | ||
Notes
- Event listings by the National Climatic Data Center are divided by county. As such, tornadoes that track across multiple counties are split into multiple summaries and the total number of event listings does not represent the actual number of tornadoes.
- All damage totals are in 2009 USD unless otherwise stated.
- Extensive tornado records, compiled by the National Climatic Data Center, begin in 1950;[2] however, it is widely known that improving technology and reports from storm chasers have improved the comprehensiveness of data in recent years and countless tornadoes in older years have gone undocumented.[3]
- Although no official definition of a tornado outbreak exists, Grazulis (1993) describes one as "a group or family of six or more tornadoes spawned by the same general weather system."[3] Galway (1975) described events with 6–9 tornadoes as small, 10–19 as moderate, and ≥20 as large.[3] Furthermore, an outbreak in Florida—south of 30°N—is defined by Hagemeyer and Matney (1994) as "four or more tornadoes in [four] hours or less."[5]
- All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.
References
- "United States Tornado Event Reports: November 1 – December 31, 2009". National Climatic Data Center. 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
- "Tornadoes - Autumn (SON) 2009". National Centers for Environmental Information. State of the Climate. National Climatic Data Center. December 2009. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
- Roger Edwards; Richard L. Thompson; Keith C. Crosbie; John A. Hart & Charles A. Doswell III (2004). Proposals for Modernizing the Definitions of Tornado and Severe Thunderstorm Outbreaks (PDF). Storm Prediction Center (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
- "Tornadoes - December 2009". National Centers for Environmental Information. State of the Climate. National Climatic Data Center. January 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
- Barlett C. Hagemeyer (September 1997). Peninsular Florida Tornado Outbreaks (PDF). Weather and Forecasting (Report). 12. American Meteorological Society. pp. 399–427. Bibcode:1997WtFor..12..399H. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(1997)012<0399:PFTO>2.0.CO;2.
- "Christmas Eve 2009 Tornado Outbreak". Significant Weather Events. National Weather Service Office in Lake Charles, Louisiana. April 7, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
- "Oregon Event Report: EF0 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. National Weather Service Office in Portland, Oregon. 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
- "Arizona Event Report: EF0 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. National Weather Service Office in Tucson, Arizona. 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
- "Texas Event Report: EF1 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. National Weather Service Office in Shreveport, Louisiana. 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
- "Florida Event Report: EF0 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- "Georgia Event Report: EF0 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- "Georgia Event Report: EF0 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
- "Georgia Event Report: EF1 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- "Mississippi Event Report: EF0 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. National Weather Service Office in Jackson, Mississippi. 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
- "Florida Event Report: EF0 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. National Weather Service Office in Tallahassee, Florida. 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
- "Georgia Event Report: EF1 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. National Weather Service Office in Jacksonville, Florida. 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
External links
- National Climatic Data Center State of the Climate reports
- National Climatic Data Center Storm Events Database
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