Tornado

Be Prepared: Intense Storm Cluster With 75+ MPH Winds Working Through Upper Midwest Monday Evening

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 19:57:58 GMT

A powerful cluster of storms is forming in the Upper Midwest with a chance for crop-damaging winds and potential tornados in central South and North Dakota as well as southwestern Minnesota, warns The National Weather Service and meteorologist Bret Walts with BAMWX.com.

Walts expects the cluster will release a lot of wind energy this afternoon and this evening as it gathers steam moving east through the upper Great Plains. It could even intensify into a rare derecho storm with hurricane force winds.

UPDATE: The Weather Channel is now reporting a “derecho is likely to strike the Northern Plains.”

“We’ve got a stronger (atmospheric) jet stream moving in with a lot of instability in place still with the heat and humidity across parts of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota,” he says.

Walts is paying close attention to how quickly the individual storm cells merge together. He says the faster that formation occurs the more intense the storm has the potential to become.

7/28/25: Intense severe storms are expected to form this afternoon in SD and spread southeastward into MN and IA through tonight. Swaths of damaging winds, potentially 75-90 mph, are the main concern. Be prepared to take action if watches and warnings are issued for your area. pic.twitter.com/wf2rH7eUdD
— NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) July 28, 2025

Walts forecasts the timing as 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. CT for parts of South and North Dakota, while 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. would be the time frame for the most intense winds in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota.

“If that initial cell to the north shoots out of a lot of boundaries it could lead to the setup becoming a little bit messier,” Walts says. “We’ll know by five or six o’clock that if this thing is not getting organized, then we have an idea it is not going to be that intense. But I don’t anticipate that happening because the environment is very, very unstable and there’s a lot of wind energy. That combination this time of the year normally is not a good thing.”

NOAA says it expects these storms will move very quickly, and it is important to take action when warnings are issued locally. Do not wait until you see or hear signs of a strong storm because by that time it might be too late.

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Goodbye, La Niña? Eric Snodgrass Dissects What the Shift Means for Weather This Spring and Summer

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 21:12:49 GMT

La Niña is weakening, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) expects neutral conditions to develop in the next month . But even with La Niña fading, meteorologists are still concerned about drought this spring and summer.

NOAA this week said forecasters expect ENSO-neutral conditions to develop in the next month and persist through the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. According to NOAA, La Niña’s signature is cooler-than-average surface water in the east-central tropical Pacific, stronger-than-average trade winds, and drier conditions over the central Pacific.

ENSO-neutral means conditions could be close to average, but Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien’s principal atmospheric scientist, says that doesn’t mean the weather will be normal this spring and summer.

“I do expect changes,” Snodgrass says. “Think about it like this: The previous winter was an El Niño winter, and it was very mild and very wet. So, we got into spring ’24 with tons of moisture. I mean, Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota flooded out. Then we had this incredibly dry fall as the La Niña began, and it reached a peak twice. It actually hit a peak in December, and then a secondary peak about a month later at the end of January. It’s been fading ever since. The big question is, as we go into neutral conditions for this upcoming growing season, is it going to be one that paints a picture of precipitation extremes? Did it leave us with any sort of kind of problems from winter that are carrying over?”

Snodgrass says the severe weather outbreaks on Friday, that brought high winds, dust storms and wildfire warnings across the Plains, is a reminder how dry it is in the Southwest.

“We’ve got major pockets of the country that are still dealing with some pretty big drought conditions. It is fading, and that is a signal we have to pay attention to,” Snodgrass says.

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey is also concerned about what impact the shifting pattern will have on farmers this spring. But it’s not just the dryness. It’s also the fact areas are getting inundated with rains that could pose problems.

“With this stormy weather pattern in place, that is going to create some difficulty for spring field work in some areas. It looks like the primary storm track may be through parts of the middle of the country extending into the lower Midwest and eventually the interior northeast. That is one area where we already have fairly wet conditions,” Rippey says.

How sea surface temperatures in the Niño-3.4 region of the tropical Pacific changed over the course of all La Niña events since 1950 (gray lines) and 2024-25 (black line). This shows the traditional calculation for Niño-3.4, the monthly temperature compared to the most recent 30-year average (1991–2020 for the 2024 line). By this measure, the La Niña threshold was crossed in December 2024, but La Niña remains weak.

(NOAA)

La Niñas and El Niños Are Strongest in the Winter
Snodgrass points out La Niñas and El Niños are always strongest in Northern Hemisphere’s winter, which means they fade in spring and summer.

While La Niña-like conditions were a trademark in late fall, we didn’t reach the official definition of La Niña until January.

“The atmosphere way back in November was already treating our winter timeframe like a La Niña,” Snodgrass says. So, we were getting the influences of it as it comes in and goes out. And now the question is, what’s it going to do?”

February 2025 sea surface temperature compared to the 1985-1993 average. The surface of the east-central tropical Pacific is slightly below average temperature, but much of the global ocean remains warmer than average.

(NOAA )

“This is a great map to look at,” Snodgrass says, referencing the map above. “If you focus right in the middle, you see the large area of the cooler colors. Our line is now shifting to the central and West Pacific and behind it over by South America. All of the warmer water is beginning to emerge. And that’s what’s killing it because there’s a trade wind across that area from the east to the west. We’re going to watch this fade carefully during the spring. But the question is: Do we get winter’s leftovers?”

What Fueled the Dryness This Winter?
During the winter, Snodgrass points out there was no subtropical jet. That’s what fueled drought in the Southwest and Northwest.

“I’m actually kind of worried about the beginning of April having another shot at cold air after what we’ve been experiencing in March, which has been so very, very mild. Then you say, well, we’ve had so much dry air in place. Are we still worried about more dry air coming back? To be honest, these big storm systems coming through the central U.S., if we could get four, maybe five more of those by early April, we’re going to hate it. It’s nasty weather. It’s not fun, and it’s dangerous, but it returns moisture. That could be part of the mix of things, including the fading of La Niña that could help bring us away from these major early season drought risk scenarios.”

55% of corn production, 46% of soybean production, 33% of the cotton growing area and 27% of the winter wheat production are currently experiencing drought.

(U.S. Drought Monitor )

Growing Drought Concerns
What if it doesn’t? What if we don’t see more of this severe weather hit the Southwest and Plains, and moisture remains absent as we get into the height of spring? Well, the area will enter into the height of the growing season dry and reduce their chances of seeing moisture this summer.

“That’s a box we check every spring,” Snodgrass says. “If the drought monitor saw a reduction in drought over winter, then that gives us a different look for spring. But what we see here is two-thirds of the country in some stage of drought, including the abnormally dry category. But it’s the epicenters of drought that are so concerning. Look at the Western Corn Belt. Look at the Southwest. We just wonder if that funnels into the Mississippi Valley as we go forward.”

At the same time some areas are seeing drought, Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and the boot heel of Missouri are all experiencing heavy rains and flooding.

“By May 11, I want to know what the drought monitor map looks like. If it looks no different, then I’m going to be sounding alarms going into summer with concerns this will start to creep and move because as soon as we get into the summer weather, all we get is convective storms pop off. And what do they do? They just locally deliver rain - not big broad swaths of it,” Snodgrass says.

Tale of Two Weather Scenarios
He says the forecast leading up to May 11 is a tale of two weather patterns, with the Mississippi River being the dividing line for moisture.

“If you are along it and east of it, I think we’re going to have tight windows to plant. You could include a little bit more of Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota in that as well,” Snodgrass says. “I think we’re going to see repeated storm systems. The best moisture is east. It keeps avoiding that southern plains area.”

What to Watch: Where the Storm Chasers End Up
Snodgrass says if storm chasers are busying chasing severe weather across the Ohio Valley, the mid-south and the southeast, but not in Kansas and the Plains, that’s a key indicator there’s a problem with the moisture getting back into the plains.

“If it’s not there by the time we start June, it’s very difficult to rely on the atmosphere to return it once you get into the summer months if you live in the central plains, which is where they could build from,” he adds.

To watch the complete discussion with Snodgrass, visit Farm Journal TV and take advantage of the free trial.

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Oklahoma Tornadoes Destroy Landscape, But Not Community Spirit

Wed, 01 May 2024 15:15:49 GMT

Not much was left in the communities of Sulphur and Holdenville, Okla., after killer tornados struck the towns located southeast of Oklahoma City on April 28. In Holdenville, two people died in the twister, including an infant, The Weather Channel reports . One victim was found in the hard-hit town of Sulphur. One death was confirmed in Marietta. The tornado, determined to be at least an EF3, caused widespread damage to homes and businesses. Oklahoma Pork Council immediately stepped up to help the state through an unimaginably challenging time by providing free pork meals.

At Robinson Family Farms in Holdenville, the storms caused structural damage to several barns. This disruption has affected not only the physical infrastructure but also the daily operations and well-being of the animals housed there, explains Kylee Deniz, executive director of the Oklahoma Pork Council.

“The extent of the damage underscores the challenges faced by our producers in the wake of such natural disasters,” she says.

^{Devastating scenes like this dot the Oklahoma landscape this week. Photo by Oklahoma Pork Council.}

On Sunday, Joe Locke, Oklahoma Pork Council president-elect, had the Oklahoma Pork Council smoker rolling by noon to serve food in his hometown of Marietta, Okla. He continued to cook pork until dinner on Monday, providing much-needed meals to the community that is still grappling with power outages. This act of service underscores Oklahoma Pork Council’s commitment not just as an organization but as individuals deeply rooted in and dedicated to the well-being of their fellow Oklahomans, he explains.

“It’s crucial for the pork industry to embody the role of good neighbors due to our significant presence in Oklahoma’s agricultural landscape, where pork ranks as the second largest enterprise. More importantly, we are integral members of the communities surrounding our farms. Our farmers strive to exceed the expectations of merely being good neighbors; they are vital contributors to the fabric of rural Oklahoma communities,” Locke says. “We are more than pig farmers — we are proud Oklahomans, deeply committed to the welfare of our animals, our people, our communities and our land.”

^{Pork producers hand out meals to storm victims in Sulphur. Photo by Oklahoma Pork Council.}

On Monday, Oklahoma Pork Council showed up with food truck partner, Newman’s Firehouse BBQ, in Holdenville to hand out 1,600 free pork meals.

“Within 50 miles of the Holdenville community, there are 80,000 sows within the Tyson Foods system. The majority of these sows are cared for by local farmers who contract with Tyson Foods,” Deniz says. “Behind our large pig footprint in western Oklahoma, around Holdenville would be the second most prevalence of pigs in the state of Oklahoma.”

^{Oklahoma Pork Council collaborated with Newman’s Firehouse BBQ to serve free pork meals in Holdenville. Photo by Oklahoma Pork Council.}

On Tuesday, they served 800 free pork meals in partnership with Operation BBQ Relief and Newman’s Firehouse BBQ at the WalMart in Sulphur, Okla.

Ben E. Keith and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, along with Operation BBQ, arranged for an additional fresh pork product delivery to Sulphur. The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma’s CEO, Jeff Marlow, arranged for a refrigerated truck loaded with vegetables to be driven to Sulphur and staying on site at the Walmart in Sulphur through the week. Ben E. Keith’s Emily Melton arranged for a special delivery of pork purchased by Oklahoma pig farmers via Oklahoma Pork to fill the reefer truck. As well, Oklahoma Pork purchased 10 cases of pork loins and 10 cases of pork butts, meaning thousands of more meals for Sulphur residents to be prepared by Operation BBQ tonight for dinner and through the balance of this week.

^{Oklahoma Pork Council Executive Director Kylee Deniz hands out meals to volunteers in Sulphur. Photo by Oklahoma Pork Council.}

“The Oklahoma Pork Board and staff recognize the urgent needs of communities affected by the recent storms and are actively fulfilling them. Sulphur and Holdenville, dense pork-producing regions of Oklahoma, have received significant support from local communities, which is vital for our producers’ daily operations. In response to the crisis, our board members and staff were compelled to band together to assist these areas,” Deniz says. “By doing so, Oklahoma Pork and its partners are not only addressing immediate needs but also reinforcing the bonds of the community. This effort exemplifies the spirit of ‘One Oklahoma,’ characterized by unity and collective resilience.”

^{Community members grabbing a sandwich and drink in Holdenville. Photo by Oklahoma Pork Council.}

Locke says Oklahoma Pork Council’s commitment to Oklahoma informs and inspires every aspect of their organization’s operations.

“For our farmers, being good neighbors is fundamentally about caring for our friends and family, which naturally includes our neighbors. This approach fosters a strong community spirit and ensures that our practices reflect the values we cherish as Oklahomans,” he says.

Read More:

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Tornado to Drought to Now Severe Flooding: Kentucky Farmers Face More Crop Losses from Weather Extremes

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 20:44:08 GMT

Mayfield, Kentucky has been in the bull’s-eye of Mother Nature’s wrath the past two years. Nineteen months after an EF4 tornado tore through the town, the deadliest in Kentucky’s history , the community was hit with massive flooding this week. Nearly 12" of rain fell in a 24-hour period, setting a new record.

The intense rain also came with hail and strong winds. The powerful storm caused life-threatening flooding that gaped open roads and suffocated crops, yet another natural disaster and blow to the western Kentucky community and surrounding land.

“This is my 50th crop that I’m putting out,” says Keith Lowry, a local farmer. “Never in my lifetime have I ever seen over 11" in a 24-hour period. And we just couldn’t handle it.”

Lowry says when he went to bed Tuesday night, they had just received over an inch of much needed rain. The sun had even popped out. The storm then hit in the middle of the night and parked over the area, generating massive amounts of rain.

“By the time I got into Mayfield on Tuesday morning, which is about 10 miles north of me, it had already rained up to six”, and Mayfield was flooded. “They wouldn’t let you through the streets, cars were drowned out.”

Lowry says the rain didn’t budge all day, and with trees covering roads, and flood waters rising, Lowry and other farmers brought their tractors to try to help clear roads the best they could.

“Up in our lower bottoms, we call it our creek bottoms, we had over 4' of water across the bridges,” says Lowry. “I could get across it on the tractor, but no cars were able to cross, and by dinner on Wednesday it finally quit raining. The water didn’t leave until later that night sometime.”

The rain is over, but where does all that 12"+ water go now across west KY?

Many farmers getting impacted. This from KY 1241... just one example over a Soybean farm. Water is *rising* here today. Soybeans can really only handle a day or two flooded then crop loss can set in. pic.twitter.com/Up4qKp0Cad
— Noah Bergren (@NbergWX) July 20, 2023

Severe Crop Damage

Lowry’s ground in the bottoms held the water for hours, and he’s now trying to assess the losses on his farms. Only about 10% of Lowry’s ground is located in the bottom area, but other farmers have more.

“The corn is going to be fine, the water was probably 6' up on some of my corn in the bottoms, but the water receded slowly on that, which is good. When it goes back in the creek fast, that pulls the corn with it, but it did not do that this time,” says Lowry. “Now the soybeans didn’t fair as good.

Another eerie reminder of the past. So much of the water was brown today. But brown from dirt left from vacant lots after the EF4 tornado in 2021. Just hard to stand in the same identical place and witness two different natural disasters. Definitely humbling and a reminder as to… pic.twitter.com/5TnJ66dIT5
— Noah Bergren (@NbergWX) July 19, 2023

He says his soybean fields were covered in 4' of water, which was too much for the crop to handle.

“More than 12 hours of water standing is not good on soybeans, and then when the water did recede, the soybeans are probably knee high or waist high, and it just laid them down,” says Lowry.

The biggest blow came to the area’s tobacco crop. While Lowry doesn’t personally grow any tobacco it’s a staple crop for other farmers in the area.

“The tobacco did not fare well at all,” he says. “Tobacco in this area is dark air cured tobacco, and it needs a little bit of water, but it doesn’t need that much. It’s laid down, the hail beat it down and beat the leaves, and when this hot sun comes out in the next few days, it will wilt down and it will eventually die.”

Between ankle and knee deep here, but down this street (Wilford and W College St) turns into a solid 4-5’

One man tip toed / swam to check on his dogs and cats. Can confirm they are safe.@NWSPaducah @trentokerson @BeauDodson @JacobWoodsWx pic.twitter.com/XtgoXEAP27
— Noah Bergren (@NbergWX) July 19, 2023

‘Training Thunderstorms’ Produced Massive Rainfall Amounts

With significant crop damage now a reality for farmers in western Kentucky, it’s another weather phenomenon that’s leaving the area puzzled on what could generate so much rain. Eric Snodgrass, principal atmospheric scientist for Nutrien Ag Solutions , says it was caused by a training thunderstorms that just kept following one another.

“The thing that’s kept much of the Midwest cooler has been this big trough of low pressure, and we’ve seen colder air over Canada, but it’s been super hot in Texas,” says Snodgrass. “What’s happened is in the middle, that’s where the boundary is, and so the storms do what we call training, where they find the front and they run along the front. They don’t go away from it. They just stay on it.”

Snodgrass says the first storms started Monday night, but then on Tuesday, the rains didn’t quit.

“That’s when we saw the blowout of just tremendous amounts of rain, because the storms keep rolling over the same boundary. So that’s the thing, though, you go around that area, and there’s people not too far away who said I didn’t get anything,” he says.

According to Snodgrass it doesn’t matter if the soils were parched or saturated, that much rain in a short amount of time is going to cause flooding.

The Tornado That Tore Through Mayfield in December 2021

Meteorologists have zeroed in on Mayfield starting in December 2021. That’s when the EF4 tornado caused catastrophic damage, traveling 165.6 miles across the mid-south. Mayfield was in the direct line of the violent tornado, killing 57 people. The damage can still be seen in the town, with stoplights still not working, and flattened buildings not yet replaced.

On the one-year anniversary of the tornado, Case IH teamed up with Farm Journal to revisit the community and share stories of how the community came together to rebuild. You can view the stories the team shared through a “Christmas Comeback.”

“The December 10 tornado just took a toll on the area, especially Mayfield,” says Lowry. “And then this flooding came. I spoke to the mayor, and she just says that we cannot get a break.”

Nineteen months ago, the area experienced that horrific tornado. Last year, Lowry says farmers were hit hard by drought. This year, they’re dealing with flooding, as the extremes of Mother Nature hit the area with a third punch.

“I don’t know what it is, but we’re the farmers, and even the people of Mayfield and Graves County, the people here in western Kentucky are very resilient,” says Lowry. “It’s just another hurdle we have got to cross, and we will be fine. It’s going to take a little while to recover, though.”

Compassion In Control: Kentucky Teen Jets Off on First Solo Flight Delivering Supplies to Town Ravaged By Tornado

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 17:43:17 GMT

Mary Schalk isn’t your typical teenager. At 16-years-old, her maturity is propelling her into the spotlight.

Growing up in a family full of pilots, her dream was always to fly.

“I’ve been around it my whole life,” says Schalk, a junior in high school in Glasgow, Ky., as well as an active member of Barren County FFA. “Since the beginning, I’ve always wanted to fly, and I’ve always wanted to do it by myself.”

A Calling to Help

In December, the day after a destructive tornado struck Kentucky, Mary Schalk had a calling to help.

“Seeing what I saw on the news that night, because we stayed up all night watching, I knew I had to serve somehow, to help these people because I was available, and I had the resources to make this happen,” she says.

With a burning desire to help, an idea came to life.

“My aunt kind of texted me and said she had an idea,” says Schalk. “I was like, ‘That is perfect.’ So we took it and started running. And I kind of thought, ‘Well, maybe I should ask Mom and Dad.’”

So, she did what any 16 year-old should do. She asked her parents for permission, already knowing what the answer would be.

“They enjoy me helping. And they always tell me to lead by example,” says Schalk.

Leading by Example

Her dad was an agricultural teacher and FFA advisor for years, so leading by example has been a pillar of her upbringing. And in December, leading by example, is exactly what she did.

“The night before we left one of our pilot buddies’ wives actually put out on Facebook that she was going to leave the church doors open, as well as leave the airport open and unlocked. And she just put a call out for people to bring stuff. We were just trusting everybody to be honest and bring it,” explains Schalk.

With a simple call for help on social media, the ask was answered within hours.

“It was just overfilling with all the stuff that people donated,” Schalk says. “She put it out on Facebook at about 7:30 that night, and by 7:30 that next morning, in a 12-hour period, there was so much donated at the airport and at that local church.”

First Solo Flight

Loading up her four-seater plane with the donations that came flooding in left room for only one person in the plane. And so with that, Schalk took off on her first solo flight, all at the age of 16.

“We’ve taken toiletries, water, clothes, blankets, and we even did Christmas presents for our last trip,” she says.

The 200-mile trip to Mayfield, Ky., an area considered ground-zero for devastation, didn’t happen just once. With the approval of her instructor, she’s completed the 1-hour flight three times by herself, each trip with a plane loaded full of supplies to help.

Watch: Kentucky Farmers Endure Epic Ruin And Worst Storm Damage In State History As Agriculture Rushes To Rebuild

“Natural disasters don’t define poor or rich or anything in between. It’s just people. And at the end of the day, those people had nothing. It didn’t matter if they lived in a small trailer home or if they lived in huge mansion, it was gone,” says Schalk.

Mission Takes Flight

And with the resources to provide relief, Schalk did what not man teenagers are able do. She took to the skies to get the relief to those in need.

“I just wanted to help those people, because I was the middle ground. I wanted to help them when they had absolutely nothing left,” she adds.

Comfort in the Pilot’s Seat

Her mission isn’t over yet. Schalk says she has another trip planned, with more supplies to help with recovery and relief. As it seems in the pilot seat is exactly where the 16-year-old is meant to be.

“Well, my dad jokes all the time. I’ll be driving like we did in the snow the other day, and he was holding on for dear life. He’s scared to drive with me. But he said he absolutely loves flying with me,” says Schalk with a smile on her face.

The FFA member is a living example of what it means to embody the virtues of FFA. Schalk is learning to do, while also living to serve. She is proof the sky’s the limit when compassion takes control.

The Night Devastation Hit: Recounting Stories from the Mayfield Tornado One Year Later

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 13:20:20 GMT

On December 10, 2021, an EF4 tornado brought devastation to Mayfield, Ky.

“Since Tuesday of that week, we had been hearing on the local weather stations, that something could possibly be headed our way,” recalls Kathy O’Nan, mayor of Mayfield.

“As that grew closer, and especially on that day, as the day went on, they became more intense.”

As the warnings become more dire, O’Nan knew the forecasters’ plea to take cover was one she should heed.

“I’ve never been in my basement before for a storm, never,” says O’Nan. “I’m not afraid of a storm. I’m still not afraid of a storm, but this was different. I so firmly believe that meteorologists, the local weather service at Paducah, they saved lives that night.”

O’Nan says once she knew it was safe, she returned upstairs from her basement and assessed the damage outside.

“I live four blocks from town and had no damage whatsoever, but I heard it, and so I foolishly thought, you know, maybe we’ve escaped this,” says O’Nan

Then, the calls started to come in, and as first responders began to wade through the rubble, they started to see the scars left behind.

“When Chief Creason came back, he said, ‘Kathy, it’s just awful. It’s bad,’” she remembers.

“The only light source in downtown was one light, running off the generator at the fire station that had been severely damaged during the tornado,” says David Anderson, CEO of Jackson Purchase Medical Center, the hospital in Mayfield. “So, everyone who was in a structure downtown that was damaged or destroyed, the only place they could see to go was to city hall.”

With some structures still standing but severely damaged, with just yards away other buildings barely touched, the calculus of destruction to this rural town was cruelly selective.

“We have a residential area, just north of it starts right at city hall and extends northward. And all those homes were just gone,” says O’Nan with tears in her eyes. “You couldn’t even tell where homes had been, it looked to me like if you’ve ever opened a box of matches and forced it open, and they all spill out on the floor, and it’s just a jumble, it just looked like a jumble of wood to me.”

Just two miles from downtown Mayfield, the hospital escaped a direct hit. The original path had the hospital in the tornado’s path, but a slight shift sent the tornado through downtown instead.

“It was before 9:45 p.m. before the first eight victims showed up, and they were all soaking wet and muddy,” says Anderson.

He says the 107-bed hospital was left with only emergency power, but that didn’t stop the team at the hospital, as the staff sprung into action in the most miraculous way.

“Probably the thing I’ll never forget about that night is we didn’t make a single phone call to staff to have them come to the hospital that night,” says Anderson. “They just came. I would say almost every one of my radiology staff, probably 25 people, they knew they needed to come.”

A team trained to handle crisis did just that. Before the sun even rose, a community in shock, unleashed a rapid response, and one neither O’Nan and Anderson will forget.

“As soon as the wind stopped blowing, that immediately started happening,” says O’Nan.

“There was no tension in the air among our staff. There was a peace and a calm and just a resolve to get through everything that we needed to get through,” Anderson remembers. “And I’ve never been more proud; I’ve never been more humbled by their commitment to this community, and the way they fulfilled their role that night in the way that they did.”

Even when then desperate calls came in for more help, the community didn’t quit. And while many unexpected calls came that night, one call was a conversation that took Anderson by surprise. It was from the president of Lifepoint Health , which owns and operates the hospital in Mayfield. With that call, Anderson quickly learned Mayfield wasn’t in this fight alone.

“He said, ‘Listen, I just have a few things I need to tell you. First of all, there is a generator truck coming to the hospital to help restore power,’ and I had heard of this generator truck that we have, but I didn’t really have an idea what the full capability of it was. And he said, ‘I’m sending 8,000 gallons of FDA-approved fresh water that’s also rolling towards your hospital and should be there by tonight. It’s fresh and clean, and it’s just as good as you’d ever get out of the tap anywhere.’”

From water to a generator truck, the help sent from Lifepoint Medical included vital lifelines for a community in ruins.

“By Tuesday, we even had our clinics that had no power or water, going again,” says Anderson

This rural hospital cared for 111 patients the hours after the tornado struck Mayfield. Triage also set up in a couple of places across town. The emergency response was swift and dire as the tornado claimed 24 lives in Mayfield, Graves county on December 10, 2021.

“The morning of the 10th we are going to do a walk for remembrance, and we have special t-shirts that we put together for our staff who want to do that. I imagine it’s going to pretty heavy that day,” says Anderson.

As Mayfield remembers those lives that were lost, the response that flooded in from across the nation has been fuel for this rural town the past year.

“Like what started that night and continues to happen, here came help,” says O’Nan. “Our county school system was there immediately with a bus and the superintendent, just people filling in. It just proves what we’ve always known about people here in this community, and now what the entire nation and world knows, it proves that everybody’s your neighbor. It doesn’t matter if we don’t agree, we just want to help.”

While so much has been done in the year since the tornado hit, Mayfield has a long road of recovery still ahead. To help with the long-term recovery efforts, you can donate here .

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One Year Later, How The Spirit Of Mayfield Is Fueling The Community’s Giant Efforts To Rebuild

Is ‘Tornado Alley’ Expanding East?

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 20:44:58 GMT

Tornados are nature’s most violent storms. Typically spawned from powerful thunderstorms, these destructive forces of nature can cause fatalities, detrimental damage, and wipe out neighborhoods in a mere matter of seconds.

Since the term was first coined in 1952, “Tornado Alley” has traditionally been located throughout portions of the central U.S., typically from north-central Texas to South Dakota. Tornados are most frequent in this region and have an increased chance of being more destructive.

However, science shows this tornado prone area may be expanding east.

According to a 2018 study , tornado frequency has decreased over the past four decades across Tornado Alley, while increasing just to the east across the Lower Great Lakes and into the Deep South.

Tornado Frequency

The study also reports negative tendencies of tornado occurrence have been noted in portions of the central and southern Great Plains, while robust positive trends have been documented in portions of the Midwest and Southeast U.S.

Though trends point to fewer tornado occurrences in the Great Plains, AgDay meteorologist Matt Yarosewick warns that the risk for tornadic weather isn’t necessarily declining.

“The United States is the most active spot on the globe for tornadoes,” Yarosewick says. “The climate, the geography and all those ingredients are always in play. There will always be tons of talk about the number of tornadoes or the intensity. It is all due to the warming climate and the overall larger moisture content in the atmosphere. Most early season severe weather outbreaks are occurring east of “tornado alley.” That is because the east is more active in the springtime with storm fronts whereas “tornado alley” is infamous for the dry line setups on hot summer says. Different times of the year will bring many different setups.”

Along with tornadic weather conditions expanding east, frequency is also increasing.

“The conditions needed for tornadoes are occurring more frequently due to the warming of the planet and the moisture content in the air,” Yarosewick says. “These stronger storm systems feed off of all of those types of conditions and will then, in turn, produce stronger storms and potentially more tornadoes due to the frequency of the events.”

As severe weather begins to ramp up across the U.S., it’s important to keep tornado safety at the top of mind. Planning ahead will lower the chance of injury or death in the event severe weather strikes.

For recent tornado coverage, read:

Texas Tornado Destroys Ag Shop, But Doesn’t Stop FFA Members From Helping Community

Kentucky Farmers Endure Epic Ruin And Worst Storm Damage In State History As Agriculture Rushes To Rebuild

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 19:32:56 GMT

On Dec. 10, 2021, a tornado charged across the Midsouth demolishing towns and farms in its path.

“You could not have charted a path with more destruction throughout rural Kentucky than what happened in mid-December,” says Ryan Quarles, Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture.

The EF4 tornado was the deadliest tornado in the state’s history, resulting in 58 fatalities.

“When I got there, there were still people who were injured and walking around. It was just terrible,” says Keith Lowry, a farmer just 10 miles south of Mayfield, Ken. “There’s nothing left in downtown Mayfield for 10 to 12 city blocks. There won’t be anything left on in downtown Mayfield.”

200 Miles of Devastation

Along its 200-mile path, the tornado also destroyed a research farm vital to the state’s ag industry.

“Our agriculture industry got hit more than any other industry in our state. Literally we have a path of destruction from the Bootheel of Missouri to just south of Louisville, Kentucky,” Quarles says. “We have deceased livestock just south of Louisville. If you work your way back toward western Kentucky, we have collapsed grain centers, grain silos and the poultry industry got pummeled with close to 30 poultry barns completely collapsed or damaged beyond repair.”

Mayfield, Ken., is considered ground zero for the devastation caused by the December tornado. As Lowry detailed, block after block of the town was crushed by the storm.

“I made a call to the mayor and to the judge executive. They said just come on up, we’ve got big problems,” he says.

That call happened at 2:30 a.m., and a few hours later Lowry, who also owns heavy machinery and operates a trucking company, headed for Mayfield.

“When I got there, they had three or four medical emergencies they could not get to. So we took our heavy equipment and cleaned up some streets. I’ve never seen anything like it — it’s just like a bomb went off.”

While there’s been a steady stream of cleanup efforts blanketing the rural town, the work has only started.

“We’ve been at it for six weeks, and you can hardly tell we’ve done anything. It’s just that much devastation,” Lowry says.

Losses Continue to Mount

As the cleanup continues, the price tag of the devastation is still unknown.

“We don’t know how expensive this tornado storm system will be toward Kentucky agriculture. But what we do know is it will be the most expensive storm damage for ag that our state has ever seen,” he adds. “There’s no question about it.”

As residents work to rebuild, the costs of materials have climbed, and some materials are now in short supply.

“Another big issue in our state right now is the lack of fencing,” Quarles says. “There are literally areas where you don’t know where the property lines are anymore. Plus, you have debris, nails or other items that can be harmful to livestock. So we’re still dealing with sorting livestock properly, beef cattle, and also animal welfare issues.”

Grain bins were also crushed, raising questions about where the 2022 harvest will be stored.

“One of our local granaries had close to 6 million bushels of grain destroyed, and I don’t think it’s going to be salvageable for the chicken industry, which is very big for Graves County, and as of today, were still hauling it out,” says Lowry.

That feed mill is a main artery for poultry feed, as it supplies close to 200 farms.

“The local granary — we’re hoping and praying somebody will come in there and rebuild because we need that grain. The chicken industry needs the grain,” Lowry adds.

Agriculture Rallies to Help

While some business might never rebuild, what’s happened in the days and weeks after the tornado is something Quarles says is nothing short of remarkable.

“What’s interesting is that agriculture is taking care of agriculture. A Pilgrim’s Pride hatchery got hit — 8 million chicks gone, females out, but Tyson’s helping supply the feed right now. So we’re trying to help out each other,” Quarles says.

“I have to brag on my fellow farmers. They were called into duty, and we showed up,” Lowry says. “If you know the farming community well enough, we don’t have to be asked, we just get there, we get the job done. We will get the job done eventually, but it seems like it’s a never-ending process.”

While the support has been local, relief has also been pouring in from miles away.

“I’m just humbled to see the random acts of kindness from Americans I have never met,” Quarles says. “We had donations of feed troughs, we’ve had 1,800 pairs of gloves. We have feed and hay coming in from all corners of the United States. And, of course, there’s the monetary donations, as well.”

Quarles says the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky Farm Bureau set up a GoFundMe page called the Kentucky Agriculture Relief Fund. Last week, the relief fund eclipsed over $1 million to help Kentucky rebuild.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever see it back like it was, we probably won’t, but it’s time for us to rebuild. We will rebuild and we will come back stronger,” Lowry says.

How to Help

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation are joining forces to create Kentucky Agriculture Relief Fund. The groups have created a GoFundMe page to help provide resources for agricultural-related recovery efforts for farmers affected by the widespread and devastating storms on Dec. 10-11, 2021.

Devastation Caused by Mid-December Tornado Mounts as Farms and Extension Research Facility Flattened

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 14:01:27 GMT

The devastation created by a rare mid-December tornado is still being assessed. Across the South and Midwest, thousands of structures were demolished in the storms.

As the search continued for those still missing efforts have also turned to repairing the power grid, sheltering those whose homes were destroyed, and delivering drinking water and other supplies. Kentucky officials warn residents could be without heat, water, or electricity for weeks or longer.

University of Kentucky’s research station in Princeton was destroyed in the storm. Princeton is more than three hours away from Lexington, Ky., which is the home of the University of Kentucky, but the Princeton location is a pinnacle piece of the University of Kentucky Extension’s crop research efforts.

The research station was established in 1925 to help farmers in the Western Kentucky area. The research facilities had just been renovated and rededicated late last year. It then became known as the Grain and Forage Center of Excellence.

AgDay host Clinton Griffiths talked with the director of the program as he returned to the site to start picking up the pieces.

“99% of our structures have been condemned by our Fire Marshal, so we have a massive loss of many of our buildings and our primary building that housed over on faculty a lot of our research staff and our graduate students,” says Chad Lee, Director of Grain and Forage Center of Excellence. “We had laboratories, offices, and meeting space. It’s about 80,000 square feet and it is almost nearly gone. I think there were about five people total that were on the station when the tornado hit all five okay. It’s a miracle that all five of them made it through. One of the students was in the house, [that] was on the historical list and there is nothing left at the house. He was in the old basement, and the wall fell into the basement, but not where he was seeking shelter, thankfully. And then there’s nothing like I said, there’s nothing else.”

The tornado also damaged farms that were in the storm’s path, which includes A-Maize-ing Farms in Mayfield, Ky. , which is home to Kentucky’s largest corn maze. But despite the damage, they say they will be up and running for the 2022 season.

And in Monette, Arkansas the before and after images, show farm buildings obliterated.

How to Help

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) and the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation are joining forces to create Kentucky Agriculture Relief Fund. The groups have created a GoFundMe page to help provide resources for agricultural-related recovery efforts for farmers affected by the widespread and devastating storms on December 10-11, 2021.

Mayfield Grain Company Demolished by Rare Mid-December Tornado that Ravaged Rural Kentucky Town

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 14:20:45 GMT

A series of severe storms barreled across the U.S. Friday night, producing rare mid-December tornadoes. The system proved deadly as it ravaged areas across the Midwest and South. Officials said Sunday the current death toll in Kentucky could be as low as 50 or as high as 100, with at least 14 deaths reported in other states.

Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles says the damage is mounting for the state’s agriculture industry. He says the list of facilities impacted continues to grow, with extensive damage reported to Mayfield Grain Company, Hutson Deere dealership, Pilgrim’s hatcheries, as well as multiple chicken houses and grain systems that were also damaged by the storm. He says the state is still assessing livestock losses.

Mayfield Grain Company, which is family owned and operated, took a direct hit from the tornado. Portions of the facility were shredded by the powerful storm. An aerial photo by James Hunt on Facebook shows just how severe the damage was to the grain facility during the rare December tornado. The tornado tore the roofs off of grain bins, buildings were unrecognizable as the structures were in pieces. The photo also shows a semi full of grain thrown on its side.

Jake Whitford says Mayfield Grain Company is his family’s facility, which includes three locations total. He says two of the three were destroyed in the storm, but the family is thankful no-one was at either site during the storm.

“Total loss but our God is still good! Prayers needed for our family, workforce, and little town I call home,” Whitford posted on Facebook.

As the aerial photo shows the extensive damage caused by the tornado, the winds were so powerful Nichole Eagle, who lives 98 miles northeast of Mayfield in Hanson, Ky., says she found papers from Mayfield Grain in her front yard the next day.

University of Kentucky’s research station in Princeton, Ky. was also hammered but the storm. Jeff Franklin who works in communications for UK Extension says the facility in Princeton was destroyed, which is over three hours from Lexington, Ky.

“The research station, known as the UK Research and Education Center was established in 1925 to serve the Western Kentucky area of state where the majority of our row crops are located,” says Franklin. “Worst of all, the research facilities were renovated completely and just dedicated in the fall of 2020. It then became known as the Grain and Forage Center of Excellence. It is destroyed, but the good thing there was no one injured in the overnight tornadoes.”

The devastation across Kentucky could take weeks to assess, but as the communities work to not only account for all the damage, but start to clean up, Quarles says the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and other officials are working with producers and EPA to provide adequate plans for animal health and disposal efforts.

He says anyone looking to help can do so through multiple humanitarian relief efforts. Quarles listed the following on Facebook over the weekend:

www.FeedingKY.org

https://www.gofundme.com/.../mayfield-kentucky-tornado...

https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief

https://www.redcross.org/local/kentucky.html

Details regarding agricultural specific donations are still being gathered.

“We are working with Kentucky Farm Bureau and Extension to gather specific requests so we do not duplicate efforts. Expect more on ag efforts soon,” Quarles said on Facebook.

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200 Miles of Devastation

Losses Continue to Mount

Agriculture Rallies to Help

How to Help

Devastation Caused by Mid-December Tornado Mounts as Farms and Extension Research Facility Flattened

How to Help

Mayfield Grain Company Demolished by Rare Mid-December Tornado that Ravaged Rural Kentucky Town