1 Year Ago, ‘Beast’ Tornado Outbreak Starts in Missouri, Kills 89

It was one of the worst tornado outbreaks in history and it began in Missouri one year ago today. By the time the twisters lifted back into the clouds, 89 souls had been lost due to twisters some referred to as "The Beast".

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I remember the night of December 10, 2021 vividly as I recall the distressing message from first responders in the St. Louis area saying there had been a "mass casualty event". As CNN reported, the Amazon warehouse in St. Louis that collapsed after the first tornado hit it took 6 lives. But, the worst was yet to come.

The following day, on December 11, there were 2 different EF4 tornadoes that would cut a swath hundreds of miles across Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky. The official Wikipedia page for what many called the Quad State Tornadoes counted the final death toll at 89.

I remember hearing more calls for a "mass casualty event" in Kentucky the day after the Missouri deaths. It was so disheartening knowing that multiple wedge tornadoes had hit communities in Kentucky who in some cases had little warning that they were coming since both were rain-wrapped.

By the time the storms dissipated the night of December 11, 2021, the death toll from the tornadoes was the highest ever recorded in December. No storms in that month had ever taken so many souls. Heartbreaking.

Communities that were in the path of the many twisters on December 10 and 11 of 2021 are still in the process of rebuilding. Even though homes and business can be rebuilt, you can't bring the lives back of those who were tragically lost those nights one year ago.