Late on December 11, multiple tornadoes touched down in a line that raged across several Midwest states, leaving a trail of widespread destruction and causing at least 80 deaths. Some of the heaviest damage took place in a number of small communities in Kentucky, especially the town of Mayfield, where a factory and most of the downtown area were flattened. Collected below are images from Mayfield and the surrounding region, where survivors are searching for the missing, assessing the damage, and starting a long recovery effort.
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In this aerial view, homes and businesses sit destroyed after a tornado ripped through town the previous evening, on December 11, 2021, in Mayfield, Kentucky.
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Scott Olson / Getty
Mart Egbert collects Christmas gifts meant for his grandchildren from what is left of his home in Dawson Springs, Kentucky.
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Minh Connors / Usa Today Network via Reuters
An overhead view of the damage in Mayfield after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several U.S. states on December 11.
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Cheney Orr / Reuters
Debris is seen wrapped around damaged trees as emergency workers search through what is left of the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Mayfield.
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John Amis / AFP / Getty
A general view of the damage and debris of a candle factory, seen in Mayfield
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Cheney Orr / Reuters
Members of a local mission group pray with a resident that survived the tornado in Mayfield.
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Brett Carlsen / Getty
Local residents walk past the scene of a train derailment in Earlington, Kentucky, on December 11.
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Cheney Orr / Reuters
Debris lies strewn across railroad tracks in Mayfield.
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Cheney Orr / Reuters
People work at the scene of a train derailment in Earlington.
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Cheney Orr / Reuters
People inspect the remains of a destroyed business in Mayfield.
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Mark Humphrey / AP
Traffic backs up amid tornado debris and cleanup efforts in Mayfield.
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Brett Carlsen / Getty
In this aerial view, homes are seen badly damaged and destroyed in Mayfield on December 11.
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Scott Olson / Getty
A person walks through the remains of several apartment units in Mayfield.
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Mark Humphrey / AP
An overturned passenger van rests in an empty field in a rural neighborhood in Mayfield.
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Brett Carlsen / Getty
A playground in a heavily damaged neighborhood is seen at dawn in Dawson Springs on December 12.
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Jon Cherry / Reuters
The site of a roof collapse at an Amazon distribution center, seen a day after a series of tornadoes dealt a blow to several U.S. states, in Edwardsville, Illinois, on December 11
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Drone Base / Reuters
People work inside a destroyed home in Mayfield.
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Cheney Orr / Reuters
A mailbox stands in front of a site where a home once stood in Earlington.
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Cheney Orr / Reuters
Volunteers unload cases of bottled water for community distribution at a mobile emergency-management center in Dawson Springs.
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Jon Cherry / Reuters
A destroyed post-office delivery truck is seen after extreme weather hit Mayfield.
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Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty
Christopher Bowlin, 24, sits by a fire outside his home, using it to boil eggs and stay warm, in Mayfield.
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Cheney Orr / Reuters
A view of the tornado damage in Mayfield
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Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency / Getty
A view from inside the damaged Emmanuel Baptist Church in Mayfield on the night of December 11
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Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency / Getty
An aerial view of the damage in Mayfield, seen on December 11
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Cheney Orr / Reuters
Tornado-damaged structures stand in a neighborhood in Mayfield.
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Brett Carlsen / Getty
Chris Buchanan (right) lures Cheyenne the dog from a tornado-damaged home, with help from Niki Thompson, in Mayfield.
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Mark Humphrey / AP
A storm-damaged house stands crookedly in Mayfield.
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Cheney Orr / Reuters
Emergency workers search what is left of the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory after it was destroyed by a tornado.
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John Amis / AFP / Getty
People walk across a lawn covered with bits of fiberglass insulation in Mayfield.
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Mark Humphrey / AP
Irene Noltner consoles Jody O’Neill outside the Lighthouse, a women-and-children’s shelter that was destroyed by a tornado, along with much of Mayfield’s downtown.
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Matt Stone / Usa Today Network via Reuters
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.
Late on December 11, multiple tornadoes touched down in a line that raged across several Midwest states, leaving a trail of widespread destruction and causing at least 80 deaths. Some of the heaviest damage took place in a number of small communities in Kentucky, especially the town of Mayfield, where a factory and most of the downtown area were flattened. Collected below are images from Mayfield and the surrounding region, where survivors are searching for the missing, assessing the damage, and starting a long recovery effort. Read moreHints: View this page full screen. Skip to the next and previous photo by typing j/k or ←/→. In this aerial view, homes and businesses sit destroyed after a tornado ripped through town the previous evening, on December 11, 2021, in Mayfield, Kentucky. # Scott Olson / Getty Read more Mart Egbert collects Christmas gifts meant for his grandchildren from what is left of his home in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. # Minh Connors / Usa Today Network via Reuters Read more An overhead view of the damage in Mayfield after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several U.S. states on December 11. # Cheney Orr / Reuters Read more Debris is seen wrapped around damaged trees as emergency workers search through what is left of the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Mayfield. # John Amis / AFP / Getty Read more A general view of the damage and debris of a candle factory, seen in Mayfield # Cheney Orr / Reuters Read more Members of a local mission group pray with a resident that survived the tornado in Mayfield. # Brett Carlsen / Getty Read more Local residents walk past the scene of a train derailment in Earlington, Kentucky, on December 11. # Cheney Orr / Reuters Read more Debris lies strewn across railroad tracks in Mayfield. # Cheney Orr / Reuters Read more People work at the scene of a train derailment in Earlington. # Cheney Orr / Reuters Read more People inspect the remains of a destroyed business in Mayfield. # Mark Humphrey / AP Read more Traffic backs up amid tornado debris and cleanup efforts in Mayfield. # Brett Carlsen / Getty Read more In this aerial view, homes are seen badly damaged and destroyed in Mayfield on December 11. # Scott Olson / Getty Read more A person walks through the remains of several apartment units in Mayfield. # Mark Humphrey / AP Read more An overturned passenger van rests in an empty field in a rural neighborhood in Mayfield. # Brett Carlsen / Getty Read more A playground in a heavily damaged neighborhood is seen at dawn in Dawson Springs on December 12. # Jon Cherry / Reuters Read more The site of a roof collapse at an Amazon distribution center, seen a day after a series of tornadoes dealt a blow to several U.S. states, in Edwardsville, Illinois, on December 11 # Drone Base / Reuters Read more People work inside a destroyed home in Mayfield. # Cheney Orr / Reuters Read more A mailbox stands in front of a site where a home once stood in Earlington. # Cheney Orr / Reuters Read more Volunteers unload cases of bottled water for community distribution at a mobile emergency-management center in Dawson Springs. # Jon Cherry / Reuters Read more A destroyed post-office delivery truck is seen after extreme weather hit Mayfield. # Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty Read more Christopher Bowlin, 24, sits by a fire outside his home, using it to boil eggs and stay warm, in Mayfield. # Cheney Orr / Reuters Read more A view of the tornado damage in Mayfield # Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency / Getty Read more A view from inside the damaged Emmanuel Baptist Church in Mayfield on the night of December 11 # Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency / Getty Read more An aerial view of the damage in Mayfield, seen on December 11 # Cheney Orr / Reuters Read more Tornado-damaged structures stand in a neighborhood in Mayfield. # Brett Carlsen / Getty Read more Chris Buchanan (right) lures Cheyenne the dog from a tornado-damaged home, with help from Niki Thompson, in Mayfield. # Mark Humphrey / AP Read more A storm-damaged house stands crookedly in Mayfield. # Cheney Orr / Reuters Read more Emergency workers search what is left of the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory after it was destroyed by a tornado. # John Amis / AFP / Getty Read more People walk across a lawn covered with bits of fiberglass insulation in Mayfield. # Mark Humphrey / AP Read more Irene Noltner consoles Jody O’Neill outside the Lighthouse, a women-and-children’s shelter that was destroyed by a tornado, along with much of Mayfield’s downtown. # Matt Stone / Usa Today Network via Reuters Read more We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.