# 2023 Clarksville tornado

On December 9, 2023, an intense tornado struck the northern parts of the Clarksville metropolitan area in Tennessee before moving through Todd County and into Logan County in Kentucky. The tornado claimed the lives of three people, including a child, and injured an additional 62 others. The tornado destroyed 114 homes, damaging 857 others. The National Weather Service in Nashville rated the worst of the damage from the tornado EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds estimated at 150 miles per hour (240 km/h).

## Tornado summary

The tornado touched down approximately five miles (eight kilometres) south of Fort Campbell North, Kentucky in Montgomery County, Tennessee and moved northeast. After initially causing minor EF0 tree damage, the tornado quickly intensified to high-end EF1 intensity, completely destroying the Clarksville School of Fine Arts, inflicting heavy roof damage to homes and a church, and snapping several large trees. The National Weather Service did not release a specific rating for the school’s damage, but noted that the tornado “destroyed a building next to a church”. Further rapid intensification occurred, and the tornado reached EF2 intensity as it passed just north of SR 374 and through multiple neighborhoods in the northwestern city limits of Clarksville. Numerous poorly anchored homes in this area were shifted off their foundations and leveled, many other homes had their roofs partially to completely removed, and hundreds of trees were snapped. The tornado then further intensified to high-end EF2 intensity crested a hill and entered a heavily wooded area, where dozens of mobile and manufactured homes south of Britton Springs Road were completely obliterated with some being swept away with no debris left behind. The tornado killed three people here, including a ten-year-old boy. Additional homes suffered partial to total roof removal, another poorly anchored home was shifted off its foundations and leveled, and hundreds of trees were snapped.
As it crossed US 41A in the community of Ringgold, the tornado briefly intensified to low-end EF3 strength winds of at least 140 miles per hour (230 km/h) and destroyed a strip mall with only interior walls left standing. Vehicles in the strip mall parking lot were flipped over, several other business were also destroyed, a church lost its roof, and more trees were snapped. The tornado slightly weakened, but remained strong at high-end EF2 intensity, flipping multiple 18-wheelers at a post office, inflicting significant roof and exterior wall damage to multiple well-built apartment townhouses, shifting and leveling more poorly anchored homes while inflicting severe roof and exterior damage to others, and snapping more trees. Continuing northeastward, the tornado crossed a wooded area surrounding the Little West Fork Creek before strengthening to its peak intensity as it struck a subdivision just south of the West Creek High School. Four two-story brick and vinyl homes in this subdivision were completely leveled, with debris from the homes scattered 200 yards (180 m) towards the northeast. All homes received ratings of EF3, with winds estimated at 150 miles per hour (240 km/h). The National Weather Service noted that at this time, the tornado was “very narrow and intense” and they also noted that the homes were partially screwed and anchor bolted to the foundation, with mostly nails being used as the foundation anchoring. Other two-story homes in the area had their roofs partially or completely removed with exterior walls knocked down, including multiple homes that had its entire second floor removed, the nearby West Creek Elementary School sustained roof damage, and hundreds of trees were snapped as well. The tornado then weakened slightly to low-end EF3 intensity as it crossed Peachers Mill Road, where it struck an apartment complex. Two dozen brand new, two-story apartment buildings were severely damaged, with at least a dozen of them having their roofs entirely torn off. Winds in this area were estimated to be at 140 miles per hour (230 km/h). As the tornado continued towards Tennessee-Kentucky border, it caused severe EF2 roof damage to dozens of homes in neighborhoods along Needmore Road and SR 236. leaving behind cycloidal ground scouring in fields between the two areas. The latter area also had several apartment or condo buildings sustaining high-end EF2 damage along with at least two dozen steel electrical poles being bent. As the tornado crossed I-24 at the SR 48 exit, it uprooted numerous cedar trees and collapsed a portion of a warehouse. Northeast of the interstate, the tornado impacted several neighborhoods and subdivisions, producing widespread EF1 to EF2 damage to over 100 homes, many of which had roofs partially or totally removed along with some exterior wall collapse. Some additional tree damage also occurred before the tornado crossed into Kentucky In all, the tornado struck at least 1,000 homes and dozens of businesses in the Clarksville, Tennessee area with at least 114 homes were destroyed and 268 others sustained major damage.
The tornado then moved northeastward into Todd County, Kentucky, where damage was mainly confined hundreds of trees being snapped and uprooted while the tornado traveled through rural areas and over US 41 to the north of Guthrie at EF1 to EF2 intensity. At least a dozen outbuildings were damaged or destroyed of the county, including a silo that was blown over and barns that were leveled, and homes suffered generally minor to moderate roof and garage door damage, although at least one home suffered severe roof and exterior damage. Just before crossing into Logan County, the tornado crossed US 79 and moved through the southern part of Allensville at EF2 intensity. At least 51 structures were struck by the tornado with several outbuildings being destroyed, homes suffering moderate roof damage with some partial removal noted, and dozens of trees being snapped. Debris from the structures was blown into farm fields as the tornado continued into Logan County. The tornado weakened to EF1 after crossing into the Logan County, damaging crops, trees, and outbuildings. It strengthened again to low-end EF2 intensity as it struck the community of Lickskillet, where every structure was damaged. A well-built two-story house in the town sustained extensive roof damage, had its foundation shifted, windows blown out, and three vehicles thrown and severely damaged. Two barns were also destroyed with the impalement of barn boards into the home noted. The tornado then weakened back to EF1 strength as it moved further northeast, but continued to inflict severe roof damage to homes, damage or destroy outbuildings, and snap or uproot trees for several more miles. The tornado then struck the community of Williams Store along KY 96 at EF1 intensity, damaging multiple homes and outbuildings, including one home that had parts of its middle section blown out. The tornado then continued moving northeastward at EF0-EF1 intensity, causing additional damage to homes and trees and damaging or destroying more outbuildings as it crossed US 431 and KY 100 south of Russellville. The tornado eventually lifted and dissipated southeast of the town.
In total, the hour-long tornado killed three people and injured 62 others along its path of 43 miles (69 km) while reaching a maximum width of 600 yards (550 m).

## Aftermath

At least 20,000 people were without power after the tornado in Clarksville alone. The tornado also caused $45,000 in uninsured damage to the Clarksville School of Fine Arts. Originally, the school was set to have a Christmas play on December 9 at 1 p.m. However, to accommodate a student leaving the country, the play was moved up to December 2, which had 300 in attendance. The director of the school later stated, “If we would have had 300 people in the building on the ninth instead of the second, we would be talking about the destruction of possibly hundreds of lives because there’s nothing left of the theater.”