Recap: Dec. 9-10, 2023 tornado outbreak, third December in a row

A deadly late-season tornado outbreak ravaged Tennessee over the weekend, killing six people and injuring dozens. This is the third December in a row that the U.S. has experienced deadly tornadoes. The video above shows the aftermath in Madison, Tenn.

Tornadoes can occur in any month in the U.S., but they are less common during the cooler months. However, this is the third year in a row in which a tornado outbreak occurred in December. In December of 2021, there were two tornado outbreaks, including one on Dec. 10-11, 2021, that produced an EF-4 that ravaged Mayfield, Ky. More than 50 tornadoes hit Louisiana from Dec. 13 to Dec. 15, 2022.

The December 9-10, 2023 tornado outbreak impacted the South, producing tornadoes in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Florida, and North Carolina.

The state of Tennessee was by far the hardest hit. A deadly EF-3 tornado, with winds of 150 mph, killed three people in Clarkesville, including a child, and injured 62 more. This tornado tracked 43 miles into Kentucky and was on the ground for one hour.

The communities of Madison, Hendersonville, and Gallatin, Tenn., were also hit by an EF-2 tornado with winds estimated to be 125 mph. This tornado killed three in the city of Madison, which is just north of Nashville, including a young mother and her toddler.

This outbreak also produced an EF-1 tornado near Dresden, Tenn., three EF-2 tornadoes in Robertson, Dickson, and Cheatham counties in Tennessee, as well as two EF-0 and one EF-1 tornadoes in Mississippi on Saturday. On Sunday, there were EF-1 tornadoes in Florida and North Carolina, respectively.