2010 New Year's Eve tornado outbreak
The EF3 tornado near Fort Leonard Wood on December 31
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| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | December 30, 2010–January 1, 2011 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 37 confirmed |
| Max rating1 | EF3 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 27 hours, 35 minutes |
| Highest winds |
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| Largest hail | 2.75 in (7.0 cm) in diameter (NNE of Mansfield on December 31) |
| Damage | $123.3 million (2010 USD) |
| Areas affected | Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi |
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1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado |
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1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale
The 2010 New Year's Eve tornado outbreak was a three-day-long tornado outbreak that impacted the central and lower Mississippi Valley from December 30, 2010 to January 1, 2011. Associated with a low pressure system and a strong cold front, 37 tornadoes tracked across five states over the length of the severe event, killing nine and injuring several others. Activity was centered in the states of Missouri and later Mississippi on December 31. Seven tornadoes were rated EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale; these were the strongest during the outbreak. Non-tornadic winds were recorded to have reached as high as 80 mph (130 km/h) at eight locations on December 31, while hail as large as 2.75 in (7.0 cm) was documented north-northeast of Mansfield, Missouri. Overall, damage from the outbreak totaled US$123.3 million, most of which was related to tornadoes.
The United States Storm Prediction Center first noted a possible New Year's Eve severe weather event as early as December 25, 2010. These forecasts gained confidence as the event approached, with a focus on the Ozarks and adjacent areas. Supercells developed in this area during the night of December 30 and tracked across central Missouri, producing several tornadoes and large hail. However, the bulk of activity during the outbreak was a result of a long line of supercells that tracked from Oklahoma to Illinois, producing five EF3 tornadoes. One of these tracked through northwestern Arkansas, killing four. Another tore through eastern sections of Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, destroying 159 homes and causing US$90 million in damage, making it the costliest tornado of the outbreak. A separate cluster of storms later developed in Louisiana before tracking into Mississippi, producing several tornadoes across southern and central regions of the state on January 1.
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