On December 10 and 11, 2021, a cluster of storms, including tornadoes, struck five U.S. states across the South and Midwest. Kentucky was the worst hit state, and the town of Mayfield made headlines as among the hardest hit within Kentucky.

The severe thunderstorm complex produced the most reports of wind gusts greater than 75 miles per hour of any known event according to the National Weather Service. The twister that devastated Mayfield and other Kentucky communities was on the ground for 166 miles.