The hope for snow is not uncommon for Christmas Day, and most people don’t associate this winter holiday with tornadoes.
Unfortunately, some have had to replace gathering around the tree on Christmas with taking shelter from severe storms.
One of the most memorable moments in my career was back in 2012 while working at a station in Mobile, Alabama. On Christmas Day, I jumped on the air to inform the public about a confirmed tornado that was tearing through the city.
Many people were with family and friends, and I feared that some weren’t paying attention to the weather even though the severe threat was highly advertised.
Thankfully, people were paying attention, and there were just reports of minor injuries and no deaths.
However, there was plenty of damage. The National Weather Service surveyed the damage and determined that an EF2 tore through the heart of Mobile with winds of 111-135 mph.
The Mobile tornado was one of many tornadoes that spawned that day during the historic tornado outbreak.
A powerful storm plowed across the Deep South and spawned tornadoes throughout Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle.
Since 2012, Christmas Day tornadoes also occurred in 2015 across Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.
In 2016, tornadoes tore through Kansas on Christmas, which was the first on record for the holiday, according to the Wichita National Weather Service office.
Before 2012, multiple tornadoes ripped through parts of the Florida Panhandle on Christmas Day in 2006.
There was also the infamous 1982 event that sparked more than 40 tornadoes between December 23 and 25. The strongest tornado recorded was an F4.
Always remember that tornadoes can happen at any time of year. No matter the season or the holiday, make sure to stay weather aware.