|name=. Remove this parameter; the article title is used as the name by default. The first tornado at EF3 intensity in Bowling Green, where it would directly kill sixteen people. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | December 11, 2021 |
| Tornado family | |
| Tornadoes | 2 |
| Maximum rating | EF3 tornado |
| Duration | 29 minutes (total) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 16 (+1 indirect) |
| Injuries | 63 |
| Damage | $105 million (2021 USD) |
| Areas affected | Warren County, Kentucky, Edmonson County, Kentucky |
| Power outages | >1,500 |
Part of the Tornadoes of 2021 | |
In the early hours of December 11, 2021, two large and strong tornadoes struck the city of Bowling Green, located in Warren County, Kentucky. The first tornado cut a swath of EF3 damage through city and directly killed sixteen people, while the second tornado produced EF2 damage but no injuries or fataliites. The tornadoes touched down as part of a larger tornado outbreak that hit the southern United States, and the first tornado was the second-deadliest of the entire outbreak.
The first tornado touched down to the west of Rockfield, slowly becoming more intense as it crossed over KY 1083. One person was killed near Rockfield before the tornado moved on, tracking towards Bowling Green. Seven people, all members of the Brown family, were killed as the tornado completely destroyed the family's home along Moss Creek Avenue at EF3 intensity.
The second tornado formed shortly after the first, touching down to the west of the Bowling Green–Warren County Regional Airport before tracking to the south of Bowling Green, where it produced EF2 damage to areas around the Barren River. Despite heavily damaging several structures, including at the NCM Motorsports Park, the second tornado was only on the ground for five minutes and caused no injuries or deaths.
The tornadoes devastated multiple areas in and around Bowling Green, leaving over 1,500 people without power in the weeks following the event. Seventeen people were killed in total, and sixty-three others were injured; every casualty was a result of the initial EF3 tornado.[note 1]
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