Tornado outbreak of January 1-2, 2025 (TG)

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Tornado outbreak of January 1-2, 2025 (TG)

An EF1 tornado that struck Roxboro, North Carolina on the afternoon of January 2.
Type:	Squall Line, Tornado outbreak
Active:	January 1-2, 2025
Duration of tornado outbreak1:	1 day, 1 hour, 14 minutes
Maximum rated tornado2:	EF4 tornado
Highest winds	180 mph - Goodfield, IL (tornadic) 114 mph - Albert Lea, MN (non-tornadic)
Tornadoes confirmed:	185
Damage:	$1.8 billion (2025 USD)
Injuries:	231
Fatalities:	11
Areas affected:	Upper Midwest, Upper MS Valley, Great Lakes Region, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic
1Time from first tornado to last tornado 2Most severe tornado damage; see wikipedia:Enhanced Fujita scale

The tornado outbreak of January 1-2, 2025 was the largest tornado outbreak in the month of January on record. Very mild temperatures led to the cause of this event. All 185 tornadoes in this outbreak were produced by a powerful, long-tracked quasi-linear convective system (QLCS), moving through the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, and Mid-Atlantic. Two EF4 tornadoes were spawned from this squall line. They occurred in Elma, Iowa and Goodfield, Illinois. 43 significant tornadoes touched down in this outbreak, with several of these causing numerous injuries and several fatalities. This outbreak was also one of the most destructive in history, and as well as becoming one of the costliest of the 2020s decade. Aside from tornadoes, violent wind damage occurred from this line of storms. Due to its development along a cold front, following the storms, a significant winter storm impacted tornado-stricken areas of the Upper Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Mid-Atlantic. The outbreak is memorable for being the only derecho in United States' history to occur in the winter, and as well as the most powerful derecho to impact the state of Illinois. Several tornadoes in the outbreak caused well over $500 million (2025 USD) in damages, and several significant tornadoes impacted large cities, such as Sioux Falls, Waterloo, Davenport, Springfield, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Roanoke, and Raleigh. Overall, there were eleven fatalities and numerous injuries from this outbreak, making it one of the deadliest outbreaks in the month of January on record. Damages amounted to around $1.8 billion (2025 USD), due to the many significant tornadoes that impacted the Upper Midwest, Upper Mississippi Valley, the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and the Mid-Atlantic from January 1-2, 2025.

Synopsis

At the end of December 2024, a strong high-pressure area was situated over the Central United States and Southern Canada. The jet stream was situated over the United States/Canada border along Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota, allowing for warm air to be trapped. Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico allowed for some high-rainfall events in the Southern United States and Ohio Valley, leading to a record wet Christmas for some. Record highs across the Central United States and Mid-Atlantic were being shattered from December 23 - January 1. Bismarck, North Dakota reached a January record high of 69°F (20.5°C) on January 1. Indianapolis (81°F), Des Moines (73°F), and Cincinnati (84°F), were among other places to reach record highs from this abnormal January heatwave.

On December 31, a cold front swept down from Alberta, with temperatures of -10°F at its tail end. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a slight risk for Central North Dakota, Extreme Northeast South Dakota, and West Central Minnesota for damaging winds at the 1730Z Day 2 outlook. Behind this cold front, snowfall of up to one foot was being recorded, with totals of up to two feet in higher elevations.

1730Z D2 Outlook - Valid January 1, 2025

On the morning of January 1, record highs were being smashed, as mentioned earlier, before this cold front swept through. At 3:00 pm MST, the cold front entered Montana through Saskatchewan. With the supply of dew points around 65°F, storms began to fire along the edge of the front, producing damaging winds as it made its way through Montana and North Dakota. As many squall lines do, this line of storms began to produce spin-up tornadoes in North Dakota, with the first being a weak tornado in McKenzie County. At 5:00 pm CST, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a particularly dangerous situation (PDS) tornado watch, for Central North Dakota, Northeast South Dakota, and Central Minnesota, lasting through the night. The SPC noted that the potential for brief but intense tornadoes was very high, which eventually verified as the line of storms moved across North Dakota. An EF3 tornado touched down in the Steele area, causing major damage to a farm outside of that town.

The first deadly tornado of the outbreak struck Valley City, North Dakota, where high-end EF2 damage was observed. The line of storms continued through North Dakota, eventually producing another deadly tornado in White Rock, South Dakota, destroying all buildings in the town, causing one fatality and wiping the three-resident town off the map. At 2000z, the SPC upgraded the slight risk for tornadoes, hail, and damaging winds to a moderate risk. They also upgraded the Day 2 enhanced risk for Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to a high risk for damaging winds and tornadoes. As this line moved across Minnesota, relatively weak tornadoes touched down, and wind gusts of 80-90 mph were being recorded, with isolated gusts of 100-110 mph. A strong, EF3 tornado touched down in Lincoln County, Minnesota, tearing through the town of Minneota around 7:00 pm (CST). A wind gust of 114 mph was recorded in Albert Lea, Minnesota, where trees and power poles were snapped and where mobile homes were destroyed.

Day 2 high risk outlook - Valid January 2, 2025

As this squall line began to reach peak intensity in Minnesota, it crossed into Iowa, producing violent tornadoes and persisting damaging winds. The Storm Prediction Center issued another particularly dangerous situation (PDS) tornado watch, including Iowa, Southern Wisconsin, Illinois, and Central Indiana. An EF4 tornado touched down in Elma, Iowa, wiping out a mobile home and leveling a brick farmhouse. Almost simultaneously, an EF3 tornado touched down in Waterloo, Iowa, moving through downtown, causing major damage and numerous injuries. The squall line kept its intensity as it moved through Southeast Iowa, producing wind gusts of 80-90 mph still. A wind gust of 99 mph was recorded in Cedar Rapids, and a 97 mph wind gust was recorded in Tipton. The line moved through Davenport around midnight, where a large tornado touched down, moving through East Moline, Illinois, causing three fatalities.

Across North Central Illinois, violent tornadoes were touching down and causing extraordinary damage. An EF3 tornado touched down north of Galesburg, moving across I-74, where a well-built home had mostly collapsed. As the tornado moved through the Peoria region, the squall line produced the most intense tornado of the outbreak. An EF4 tornado touched down near Goodfield, leveling and partially sweeping away well-built homes on the north side of town, causing one fatality. This same storm eventually produced an EF1 tornado on the north side of Bloomington, just minutes later. With the line now beginning to move through Indiana around 4:00 am CST, winds of 70-80 mph were being recorded along the front. An EF2 tornado touched down on the north side of Indianapolis, causing five injuries and damaging 30 homes. An EF3 tornado touched down in Brown County State Park, debarking trees. Had the tornado hit structures, it would have been likely an EF4, according to the National Weather Service Office in Indianapolis.

One of the most impressive tornadoes produced by the squall line struck the city of New Castle, causing four fatalities as the tornado moved through the city around 6:00 am EST. The line, now moving through Ohio, began to produce rather weak tornadoes; however, an EF2 tornado touched down in Hillsboro, causing many injuries. High winds were recorded throughout Southern and Central Ohio, with gusts up to 85 mph being recorded. The top wind gust recorded from the line in Ohio was 84 mph at Sharonville. Now weakening, the line began to move through West Virginia around 10:00 am EST, with wind gusts of 60-70 mph. Many weak tornadoes touched down throughout West Virginia, including an EF1 tornado that caused 17 injuries in Beckley. The line entered Virginia around noon, briefly restrengthening as it quickly moved through. The last significant tornado produced by the line occurred in Danville, where three fatalities occurred and multiple homes were destroyed.

Weakening yet again, the squall line moved through North Carolina, producing multiple weak tornadoes. A wind gust of 61 mph was recorded in Raleigh, along with an EF1 tornado that damaged several homes. As the squall line was moving through North Carolina, supercells developed across South Carolina and Southern Georgia, producing several weak tornadoes before finally dissipating around 10:00 pm EST.

Behind the cold front, a major winter storm occurred, blanketing most of the Upper Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, and Mid-Atlantic in more than six inches of snow. Ice preceded the snowfall, glazing many of the tornado-stricken areas before receiving considerable amounts of snowfall. Blizzard conditions were reported throughout the Upper Midwest, as well. Outside of the system, a major flooding event occurred in Texas and Louisiana, causing multiple river gauges to surpass major flooding stage by January 3.

Notable Tornadoes

Valley City, North Dakota

EF2 tornado
Duration	5:59 pm – 6:07 pm (CST)
Intensity	215 km/h (135 mph) (1-min)

The line that produced this tornado produced two other tornadoes before this one, including a significant tornado in Spiritwood, and a weaker tornado near Sanborn. 80 mph winds were being recorded by this storm, which prompted the National Weather Service Office in Grand Forks to issue a severe thunderstorm warning. This warning was considered a "very dangerous situation" and noted the hazard of a possible brief tornado, as common with lines such as the one moving across North Dakota at this time. Around 6:56 pm CST, a funnel was noted near the Sanborn area, from a previous tornado that had lifted moments earlier. Law enforcement first reported the touchdown of a rope tornado at 6:59 local time, north of Berea, moving southeast at 65 mph. Moments after touching down, a farm was struck by the tornado, causing major damage to outbuildings. The tornado rapidly widened into a stovepipe tornado just moments later, then to a large, wedge tornado soon after. The tornado reached a peak width of 1,105 yards (0.62 mi), just three minutes after touchdown, outside of Valley City. At this time, the National Weather Service Office in Grand Forks issued a "particularly dangerous situation" (PDS) tornado warning for the Valley City area. Three well-built homes were heavily damaged on 115th Avenue, with two that had their roofs entirely torn off. A detached garage on one of these homes was flattened, signifying EF1-2 damage. Trees were snapped or uprooted along 33rd Street, where a mobile home was rolled on its side. A junkyard, next door, had multiple cars rolled and tossed short distances, and two garages were destroyed. The tornado then moved directly into Valley City, after crossing 9th Avenue. Several well-built homes sustained extensive damage along 9th Street, where power lines and poles were downed. One line fell into a home at this location, falling through an interior bathroom, where a woman was sheltering, causing one fatality. At 7:04, the tornado had begun to move through the north side of the city, around 800 yards (0.45 mi) wide, producing widespread EF1-EF2 damage. Numerous trees were snapped, uprooted, or damaged as the tornado crossed Central, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th avenues on the north side of town. The Barnes County Courthouse received minor damage from the tornado as it made its way across the town. A church sustained heavy roof damage on 5th Street, and a large garage was destroyed on 12th Avenue. Crossing main street, several garages sustained heavy damage and multiple trees were uprooted. A few homes sustained extensive roof, siding, and gutter damage. The tornado began to rope out, crossing I-94, moving into an open field. Limbs were torn off trees before the tornado lifted at 7:07 pm CST, just before crossing 20th Avenue. Overall, one fatality was reported, along with eleven injuries, from the first fatal tornado of the outbreak.

Elma, Iowa

EF4 tornado
Duration	11:03 pm – 11:08 pm (CST)
Intensity	270 km/h (170 mph) (1-min)

As the squall line began to move through the state of Iowa, it was reaching its peak intensity, with wind gusts of up to 100 mph. At 10:57 pm CST, the National Weather Service Office in La Crosse, Wisconsin issued a particularly dangerous situation severe thunderstorm warning for Eastern Mitchell County, Western Howard County, Northeast Floyd County, and Northern Chickasaw County, Iowa, for wind gusts of up to 100 mph, noting the possibility of a weak tornado. As the line moved to the southeast at 65 mph, a funnel cloud was noted south of Riceville. At this time, the National Weather Service Office in La Crosse issued a tornado warning, for the possibility of a tornado near Elma. At 11:03 pm CST, a rain-wrapped, cone tornado touched down to the northwest of Elma, rapidly moving southeast. The tornado crossed Elm Avenue, striking a farm. At this particular farm, the roof of a home was torn off, and four barns were flattened. The tornado rapidly intensified, scouring the ground as it crossed 190th street, where a poorly-anchored farm was swept away, signifying high-end EF3 damage. A large barn at this location was swept away as well, and two grain silos were flattened. Just behind this location, a well-built home was leveled, and barns at this location were flattened as well. Ground scouring continued as the tornado moved south of Elma, debarking, snapping, or uprooting many trees. The tornado weakened as it approached Garden Avenue, uprooting numerous trees and damaging a barn. EF0 damage was noted at a home off Garden Avenue north of Alta Vista as the tornado began to rope out. The tornado briefly crossed into Chickasaw County before lifting just to the north of Alta Vista. Miraculously, there were no injuries or fatalities caused by this tornado.

Waterloo, Iowa

EF3 tornado (NWS)
Duration	11:05 pm – 11:11 pm (CST)
Intensity	220 km/h (140 mph) (1-min)

As a violent tornado was shredding homes near Elma, a particularly dangerous situation (PDS) severe thunderstorm warning was issued by the National Weather Service Office in Des Moines for Central Black Hawk County, with the possibility of a tornado. At 11:04 pm, a funnel cloud was noted over the city of Cedar Falls, moving southeast at 60 mph. At 11:05 pm, a cone tornado touched down along I-380 in Northern Waterloo, moving to the southeast. The National Weather Service Office in Des Moines issued a tornado emergency for the city of Waterloo at this time. The tornado struck the McElroy Auditorium, causing minor damage to the roof of the structure. At this location, outbuildings were heavily damaged and cars were overturned. A few retail buildings sustained extensive damage to their roofs, as well as having windows blown out of the buildings. Now widening, the tornado rapidly intensified and destroyed a warehouse building along I-380. The tornado then crossed I-380 at Elks Memorial Park, into downtown Waterloo. Multiple trees were snapped along Randolph Street, and many homes were either damaged or destroyed. Non-bearing walls at the Emerson School were collapsed, signifying EF3 damage to the school. Houses around the school sustained high-end EF2 damage. The roof of a dentist office was torn off, and two churches sustained extensive damage to their roofs. An auto repair shop had all of its exterior walls blown in, and homes around it were unroofed. Some trees were debarked along South Street, and a Wesleyan Church sustained extensive damage. Now weakening, the tornado struck Lowell Elementary School, removing sections of roofing. Many trees were uprooted or damaged as the tornado moved through southeast Waterloo. The tornado restrengthened, striking a bowling alley, which sustained EF2 damage. A Pizza Hut lost its roof on La Porte Road, and the awning of a gas station was blown over. An auto parts building received minor damage on Sheffield Avenue. The last trace of tornado damage was noted along Easton Avenue, where tree limbs were snapped off trees. Overall, this tornado led to 78 injuries, but miraculously, no fatalities occurred from this tornado.

East Moline-Colona, Illinois

EF2 tornado (NWS)
Duration	12:03 am – 12:12 am (CST)
Intensity	185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min)

As the squall line was closing in on the Quad Cities, winds of 90-100 mph were being recorded, causing extraordinary straight-line wind damage, along with weak tornadoes; however, as the tornado entered the northern side of Davenport, rotation on the storm began to tighten, and a wall cloud was observed over the Davenport Municipal Airport at 11:58 pm (CST). This then produced a funnel cloud, along with a brief, EF1 tornado, that touched down on the north side of Davenport at 12:00 am (CST), damaging several buildings along East 53rd Street. After this tornado lifted, a persistent funnel cloud was observed over East Kimberly Road in Davenport. At 12:02 am, the National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency for Davenport, Moline, and East Moline. Soon after, the aforementioned funnel cloud touched down over the Premier Brick and Stone Company, causing minor roof damage to the building. The tornado then crossed the Mississippi River, where it entered the city of East Moline. The tornado destroyed buildings along the river, which had already been previously damaged after a major flood from November 29 - December 6, as a result of a major winter storm that struck the region. Along 15th and 16th Avenue, homes were unroofed, trees were uprooted, and garages were destroyed, causing two injuries in this area. The tornado then struck Hillcrest Elementary School, where exterior doors were blown in and sections of roofing were torn off, signifying low-end EF2 damage, due to the high construction quality of the building. A poorly-built home on 5th Street was shifted off its foundation, where two injuries and one fatality occurred. The tornado briefly entered a wooded area before striking many more buildings on the eastern side of the city, where outbuildings at a church were flattened. The tornado then struck the Short Hills Country Club, where trees were uprooted and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. The tornado then crossed 1st Street, where many homes were unroofed or sustained heavy roof damage. An animal clinic on 30th Avenue had its windows blown in, and gutters on the building were torn off. Similar damage occurred at a 7-Eleven, just across the street. A home that had just started construction on 1st Street was hit as well, causing its collapse. The tornado, now roping out, barely missed the Illini Hospital, causing light damage to trees behind the facility. The tornado then restrengthened, passing through the southern half of Silvis, causing major roof damage yet again to homes. A Walmart Supercenter was struck, causing heavy damage to the building. Just before crossing Colona Road, the tornado struck many homes on the south edge of Carbon Cliff. A church sustained light roof and siding damage in this area, and a outbuilding on the same property was destroyed. Trees at a golf course near this location had limbs torn off. Now restrengthening for a third, and final time, the tornado crossed into Henry County, where trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado maintained EF1 intensity as it moved through the south side of Colona, causing relatively light damage to homes, while downing, snapping, or uprooting trees through this region. Power poles and lines were also damaged, leading to major power outages in the city. The most intense damage in Colona was observed at the Colona Public Library, where large sections of the roof were torn off, windows were blown in, and gutters were torn off. Mobile homes at the edge of Colona sustained significant damage before the tornado moved out of town. The tornado tore limbs off trees before lifting just to the southeast of Colona. Overall, very significant damage was recorded from this tornado, along with one fatality and multiple injuries. The tornado became the strongest to affect Rock Island County, Illinois since March 13, 1990, 35 years prior.

Goodfield-Congerville, Illinois

EF4 tornado (NWS)
Duration	1:20 am – 1:27 am (CST)
Intensity	285 km/h (180 mph) (1-min)

As this powerful squall line, now considered a derecho, tore across Central Illinois, many significant tornadoes were touching down, including a powerful EF2 tornado that struck the Davenport metro just an hour before. At 1:00 am CST, the National Weather Service Office in Lincoln, Illinois issued a tornado warning for Southeast Peoria County, Northern Tazewell County, Western Woodford County, and Western McLean County, Illinois until 1:35 am CST. This line was moving east-southeast at 70 mph at this exact moment, as the line tore through the Peoria region. From this warning, an EF0 tornado touched down in downtown Peoria, causing minor damage to buildings. A second tornado touched down as well, rated EF2, south of Washington, tearing the roof off a well-built home. At 1:19 am CST, a funnel cloud was noted yet again from this same storm, reported by law enforcement, located along Dee-Mac Road, northwest of Deer Creek. This funnel then crossed into Woodford County, where it proceeded to touch down in an open field between County Road 1125 East and County Road 1200 East, northeast of Deer Creek, moving east-southeast of 70 mph. Old farm equipment near this location was tossed, and a barn was destroyed. A farmhouse had shingles blown off its roof, and windows were blown in on the house. Siding and gutters were also torn off in spots. The tornado rapidly intensified over an open field north of the town of Goodfield, where ground scouring was first noted. The tornado grew to an impressive size, around 1625 yards (0.92 mi), and moved through the north side of Goodfield, damaging or destroying 30% of buildings in the city. A garage north of Goodfield, along State Highway 117, was leveled and swept away, signifying EF3 damage. The roof of the Trinity Stone Center was blown off, and similar damage occurred to homes along W Belaire Ct, where EF1-EF2 damage was noted. The most significant damage occurred along Parkside Drive and Scenic Drive, where multiple, well-built, well-anchored homes were leveled. Trees at this location were entirely denuded. A truck at this location was thrown 250 yards, and an above-ground pool was tossed 150 yards away from its origin. A well-anchored, new home was given an EF4 damage indicator after it was leveled and partially swept away. The tornado passed through Goodfield Park, producing high-end EF3 damage after debarking multiple trees. The tornado then passed through Maple Drive, where two homes were almost leveled, but leaving some interior walls. The tornado began to weaken as it left Goodfield, snapping or uprooting numerous trees. Three homes were unroofed and several outbuildings were flattened along U.S. 150. One fatality occurred when a tree fell on a woman's home on County Road 1550 East. The tornado then entered a mostly wooded area before making a direct hit on the town of Congerville, where widespread, low-end EF1 damage was noted. Many trees were uprooted throughout town, and outbuildings were either heavily damaged or destroyed. A home along Reaba Avenue had its roof torn off, and other homes throughout town sustained relatively light damage. Many homes had gutters ripped off, shingles blown off, or vinyl siding peeled off the side of homes. Limbs were torn off trees in downtown Congerville, where very light damage was reported to buildings. The tornado finally lifted on the eastern edge of Congerville. This tornado was the strongest of the entire outbreak. Overall, this violent tornado caused one fatality and thirteen injuries.

New Castle, Indiana

EF3 tornado (NWS)
Duration	5:36 am – 5:40 am (EST)
Intensity	270 km/h (165 mph) (1-min)

The squall line, now slightly weakening, had entered its way through Indiana by 3:00 am, changing direction from east-southeast to southeast. Around 5:00 am, the line was nearing the Indiana/Ohio state line, with several embedded supercells. One of these prompted the National Weather Service Office in Indianapolis to issue a tornado warning for Central and Eastern Henry County, until 6:00 am EST. This storm was reported to have caused two tornadoes prior to entering Henry County, which included an EF1 on the east side of Anderson and a weak, EF0 tornado west of Middletown, which heavily damaged two barns. A lowering was first noted with a wall cloud at 5:33 am, near Sulphur Springs, along US 36, which was reported by law enforcement. About a minute later, a funnel was first sited, now to the south of Sulphur Springs, moving southeast at 75 mph. This quick-moving, intense, rotating funnel touched down, just as it was entering the city of New Castle, along State Road 38 west of town. At this time, the National Weather Service in Indianapolis issued a rare tornado emergency for the city of New Castle. A stainless steel company sustained significant roof damage, noting that the tornado caused EF1 damage almost immediately upon touchdown. Next door, outbuildings at a lumber company were flattened or heavily damaged. The tornado then moved through a wooded area, snapping or uprooting many trees before moving into an open field. Then, the tornado was noted to have debarked trees just as it was entering the business district in New Castle. The New Castle Plaza took a direct hit from the tornado, which sustained major damage. The building was almost leveled, signifying high-end EF3 damage. Multiple restaurants at this location sustained significant damage as well, including a Long John Silver's, a Pizza King, and a Stack's Pancake House. The roof of a bank was torn off on South Memorial Drive, and a Pizza Hut had its windows blown in, along with sections of roofing torn off. The New Castle Community Schools Corporation building was struck on Elliott Avenue, which lost all of its exterior walls. Homes at this location sustained significant to major damage, including one home that was leveled, but was not built to standard, signifying 150 mph EF3 damage. The tornado then briefly moved into a heavily wooded area of New Castle, where numerous trees were debarked or denuded. Several homes in this area were leveled, and were given a high-end, 165 mph EF3 rating. The tornado then entered a cemetery, where several trees were snapped at the base, and a historic home lost its roof. An outbuilding at this location was swept away as well. The tornado grew to 450 yards at peak, just north of Parker Elementary School, which sustained light roof damage. Many homes in this area were unroofed or sustained damage to exterior features. The tornado then heavily damaged or destroyed multiple old, poorly-built homes as it was beginning to cross I Avenue. The tornado, now weakening, struck the Crown Equipment USA building, tearing off major sections of the roof, blowing in windows, and causing serious damage to exterior walls. The tornado uprooted a few more trees before briefly moving into an open field, yet again. The tornado flattened a garage on Hunter Avenue, and partially tore the roof off a house. About five mobile homes in this area were destroyed, and one was rolled onto its side, signifying EF1 damage. One fatality occurred at this location. The tin roof of a large building was peeled off in sections, and limbs were torn off trees at this point. The tornado then crossed South County Road 250 East, causing very minor damage to a home. The tornado, now in its final seconds, crossed East County Road 200 South, tearing the roof off a barn, before lifting in the woods behind the residence that this barn sat at. Overall, four fatalities were caused by this tornado, and numerous injuries were reported. Causing $1.3 billion (2025 USD) alone, this tornado became the costliest tornado in Indiana's history, as well as becoming the 6th costliest tornado in history, taking the place of the 2011 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado.

Danville, Virginia

EF3 tornado (NWS)
Duration	1:11 pm – 1:15 pm (EST)
Intensity	240 km/h (150 mph) (1-min)

The squall line, now restrengthening for a brief amount of time in Virginia, had begun to produce a slew of significant tornadoes during January 2, in the middle of the day. One of these was produced by an embedded supercell in Altavista, which was rated EF2, after destroying garages, barns, and other outbuildings. Around this same time, a tornado warning was issued by the National Weather Service Office in Blacksburg, Virginia for Southern Pittsylvania County, Danville, Northern Caswell County, North Carolina, and Extreme Northeastern Rockingham County. A rain-wrapped funnel cloud was first spotted at about 1:00 pm, in Pittsylvania County, about six miles to the south-southwest of Callands, reported by law enforcement along Virginia Highway 57, moving southeast at 55 mph. This funnel cloud moved across the county, first producing an EF0 tornado, which struck areas near Hinesville around 1:05 pm, prompting a tornado emergency for the cities of Fairfield Park and Danville, until 1:30 pm EST. The original funnel that produced the EF0 near Hinesville lifted, but an impressive wall cloud was left behind. At around 1:08 pm, a funnel was noted yet again by law enforcement, which were located near the Sharon area, allowing the tornado emergency to continue. The funnel passed over the Mount Cross area as well, just before entering the Danville area, which it did at 1:10 pm EST. At 1:11 pm EST, the tornado touched down in Danville, in a wooded area just off Piney Forest Road, tearing limbs off trees and shingles off homes. The tornado then exited the wooded area where it touched down, destroying two mobile homes and causing minor damage to an orthodontics office on Piney Forest Road. The I.W. Taylor Elementary School had shingles blown off, windows blown in, and gutters torn off. Another dentist's office had its roof torn off, signifying EF2 damage, and an auto loans place sustained minor damage. The tornado, still a weak, EF1 tornado, downed or uprooted many trees and blew shingles off a home on Lennox Court. Several trees were snapped at the base, signifying EF2 damage, and several homes on Rockford Pl were heavily damaged, losing their roofs. As the tornado crossed Arnett Boulevard, a Fas Mart gas station was leveled, causing one fatality, and a house lost its roof and most of its exterior walls. Along Wendell Scott Drive, power poles were snapped, causing power lines to fall dangerously close to the ground. Along 3rd Avenue, homes were unroofed, and a poorly-built home was destroyed. Several garages were swept away at this location as well, and trees were debarked. Contextual damage supported a high-end EF2 rating at this location, and an old, abandoned house was destroyed on Rice Street. This house was unanchored, and the interior of the house was not connected to the foundation, causing the house to sag into the ground lower in the ground prior to the house being struck by the tornado. As the tornado moved north of downtown Danville, the tornado weakened to EF1 intensity, downing or uprooting many trees and causing relatively light damage to homes in the area. Trees were uprooted at a cemetery near this location, just before the tornado briefly restrengthened and tore the roof off an apartment building along North Main Street. Now weakening yet again, the tornado overturned a gas station awning, and many trees were downed. Homes on Forestlawn Drive received minor damage before the tornado weakened to EF0 intensity, tearing limbs off trees and downing softwood trees. The tornado destroyed two mobile homes on Lynch Street, causing two more fatalities. The tornado then crossed U.S. 29, just before lifting on Halifax Road. Overall, it was Virginia's strongest tornado in almost a decade. It was one of Virginia's costliest tornadoes on record, causing $460 million (2025 USD) in damages. In the end, three fatalities occurred, and about forty injuries occurred. The same embedded cell that produced this tornado went on to produce a high-end EF1 tornado in Southern Roxboro, North Carolina.

Confirmed tornadoes

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
185	86	56	31	10	2	0

January 1 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, January 1, 2025

EF#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (UTC)	Path length	Max width	Summary
EF0	N of Mandaree	McKenzie	ND	22:31–22:32	0.69 miles	50 yd	A brief tornado destroyed several trailers and caused minimal damage to homes.
EF0	Dunn Center	Dunn	ND	22:39–22:41	1.2 miles	55 yd	A brief tornado touched down in Dunn Center, damaging six homes and destroying around 25 trailers, causing two injuries.
EF1	NW of Hazen	Mercer	ND	22:58–23:02	3.19 miles	350 yd	A rain-wrapped tornado destroyed an old barn and damaged several homes.
EF0	SE of Beulah	Oliver	ND	22:59–23:01	2.66 miles	30 yd	A small tornado struck rural areas, causing minor tree damage.
EF2	Center	Oliver	ND	23:05–23:12	6.99 miles	675 yd	A rain-wrapped, stovepipe tornado struck the town of Center, causing major damage within the town. Around 30 homes were either damaged or destroyed, and multiple trailers on the south side of town were destroyed. The Oliver County Courthouse was severely damaged, along with other downtown buildings. An abandoned low-rise building in the downtown area had its top story almost entirely destroyed. This tornado caused seven injuries.
EF0	WNW of Harmon	Morton	ND	23:07–23:12	5.29 miles	50 yd	This tornado remained mainly over open fields. A farm was struck, where a barn had its tin roof peeled off.
EF0	Northern Bismarck	Burleigh	ND	23:13–23:14	0.17 miles	25 yd	This very brief, weak tornado touched down in Northern Bismarck, damaging five homes.
EF1	SE of Moffit	Burleigh	ND	23:24–23:26	1.5 miles	850 yd	Several outbuildings were destroyed, and one home had large sections of roofing torn off.
EF3	Steele to S of Dawson	Kidder	ND	23:25–23:34	8.88 miles	1320 yd	A large tornado touched down in the city of Steele, causing light damage to many buildings on the north side of town. Soon after the tornado moved outside of Steele, it rapidly intensified and leveled a poorly-built farmhouse. Trees around this home were debarked, and outbuildings were obliterated. Light ground scouring was noted at this location, which continued as the tornado moved to the east-southeast. The tornado began to lose strength as it moved over open fields before eventually lifting near Dawson.
EF1	NNE of Buchanan	Stutsman	ND	23:39–23:45	6.32 miles	207 yd	This tornado destroyed outbuildings and remained over open land for most of its life.
EF0	Homer	Stutsman	ND	23:40–23:42	1.27 miles	65 yd	Limbs broke off trees and homes received light damage.
EF2	Spiritwood	Stutsman, Barnes	ND	23:45–23:51	5.84 miles	685 yd	A large tornado blew through the town of Spiritwood, damaging or destroying many homes. Four people were injured.
EF0	NE of Wimbledon	Barnes	ND	23:52–23:53	0.73 miles	50 yd	Little damage was observed from this tornado.
EF0	NE of Eckelson to NE of Sanborn	Barnes	ND	23:54–23:58	3.47 miles	75 yd	An old barn was destroyed, and one home received minor damage.
EF2	NNE of Berea to ESE of Valley City	Barnes	ND	23:59–00:07	7.49 miles	1105 yd	1 death – See section on this tornado. A large tornado tore through Valley City around sunset.
EF0	NE of Lamoure	Lamoure	ND	00:00–00:03	2.58 miles	40 yd	Limbs were torn off trees and a barn had sections of roofing torn off.
EF0	WSW of Enderlin	Ransom	ND	00:04–00:05	0.48 miles		No damage was observed from this tornado.
EF0	WSW of Gwinner	Sargent	ND	00:08–00:08	0.23 miles	25 yd	A barn received minor damage.
EF1	WNW of Mantador	Richland	ND	00:10–00:14	3.73 miles	465 yd	An old barn was leveled, and a few trees were uprooted.
EF0	N of Claire City	Roberts	SD	00:15–00:17	1.06 miles	90 yd	Some limbs were snapped off trees.
EF1	Hankinson	Richland	ND	00:20–00:22	1.17 miles	83 yd	Trees were uprooted within the limits of the city of Hankinson, and many homes received light damage.
EF2	SE of La Mars, ND to White Rock, SD	Richland (ND), Roberts (SD), Traverse (MN)	ND, SD, MN	00:25–00:31	5.14 miles	530 yd	1 death – A large tornado touched down in rural areas of extreme southeast North Dakota, uprooting trees at the ND/SD border. All structures in the town of White Rock were damaged beyond repair, causing one fatality and wiping the town off the map. The tornado crossed into Minnesota, damaging a barn before lifting.
EF0	Wahpeton, ND to Breckenridge, MN	Richland (ND), Wilkin (MN)	ND, MN	00:25–00:26	0.35 miles	50 yd	Trees were damaged before this tornado crossed the state line, entering a trailer park on the southern edge of Breckenridge, destroying multiple mobile homes and snapping limbs off trees before lifting.
EF0	S of Milbank	Grant	SD	00:26–00:29	2.8 miles	90 yd	Several outbuildings were damaged.
EF0	NE of Wheaton	Traverse	MN	00:32–00:33	1.2 miles	450 yd	A barn received major damage and several trees had limbs ripped off.
EF0	W of Carlisle	Otter Tail	MN	00:34–00:35	0.24 miles	35 yd	A small barn was damaged and trees were snapped and uprooted.
EF2	NNW of Dawson	Lac Qui Parle	MN	00:48–00:53	4.16 miles	460 yd	A tornado cut through the west side of Dawson, unroofing homes, uprooting trees, and downing power lines. Four people were injured.
EF0	SW of Montevideo	Lac Qui Parle, Yellow Medicine	MN	00:49–00:52	2.6 miles	135 yd	Several homes sustained minor roof, siding, and gutter damage. Several outbuildings were heavily damaged, and some trees were uprooted.
EF2	N of Gluek to NW of Clara City	Chippewa	MN	00:52–00:56	3.99 miles	50 yd	A manufactured home was destroyed, along with several barns and a grain silo. Several trees were snapped or uprooted, and power lines were downed along 70th Avenue SE.
EF1	Hazel Run	Yellow Medicine	MN	00:56–01:00	3.33 miles	260 yd	A large, but rather weak tornado struck the Hazel Run area, damaging nine homes and downing many trees.
EF3	SE of Porter to Minneota to NNW of Ghent	Lincoln, Lyon	MN	01:03–01:17	13.6 miles	1451 yd	A destructive tornado touched down in rural Lincoln County, damaging some farms and downing many trees. The tornado, paralleling Minnesota Highway 68, crossed into Lyon County, flattening a barn and tearing the roof off a house. Trees at this location were snapped or uprooted. The tornado moved directly into Taunton, where many homes were damaged or destroyed. Power lines were downed and poles were snapped. Several injuries occurred within the town of Taunton. Continuing to parallel Minnesota Highway 68, a well-built farmhouse lost all of its exterior walls, signifying EF3 damage. As the tornado entered Minneota, trees were debarked, light ground scouring was noted, and many homes were destroyed. 75% of buildings in the town of Minneota were damaged or destroyed. Now weakening, several outbuildings outside of town were flattened, and another home was unroofed before the tornado lifted near Ghent. This tornado was one of the longest-tracked of the outbreak.
EF0	W of Hanley Falls to N of Cottonwood	Yellow Medicine	MN	01:05–01:08	2.72 miles	130 yd	A weak tornado remained over open fields for most of its life; however, three farms were damaged.
EF0	NE of Wood Lake	Yellow Medicine	MN	01:06–01:07			No damage was reported.
EF0	S of Cottonwood	Lyon	MN	01:09–01:10	0.77 miles	40 yd	A tree had its limbs torn off, and the roof was torn off a barn.
EF2	Marshall	Lyon	MN	01:18–01:20	1.18 miles	505 yd	A poorly-anchored airport hangar was flattened.
EF1	S of Delhi to SE of Redwood Falls	Redwood	MN	01:18–01:26	10.36 miles	215 yd	Several farms in rural Redwood County sustained extensive damage. The tornado struck Redwood Falls, snapping or uprooting many trees within the town, and causing light damage to homes. The tornado lifted southeast of town. The National Weather Service believes that this tornado could have been stronger, had it not remained over open fields for most of its life, before weakening and striking Redwood Falls.
EF0	Heatwole	McLeod	MN	01:19–01:21	3.9 miles	20 yd	Minor damage was reported in Heatwole.
EF1	S of Delano	Wright	MN	01:20–01:21	1.74 miles	60 yd	Multiple homes were damaged in residential areas south of town, trees were snapped, and recreational vehicles were flipped.
EF1	NW of Lester Prairie to S of New Germany	McLeod, Carver	MN	01:21–01:25	5.96 miles	250 yd	A weak tornado barely missed the town of Lester Prairie; however, several farm buildings and sheds were damaged or destroyed. One home sustained minor damage while another had its windows blown out. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. A single-wide mobile home was nearly toppled, and several other trailers sustained minor damage.
EF1	E of Franklin to SSE of Fairfax	Renville	MN	01:24–01:29	6.75 miles	450 yd	An old barn was leveled, and a home was unroofed.
EF0	S of Dell Rapids	Minnehaha	SD	01:25–01:27	1.94 miles	340 yd	Many trees were downed or uprooted south of town, and several outbuildings had their roofs torn off.
EF0	Southern Sioux Falls	Minnehaha, Lincoln	SD	01:59–02:03	1.1 miles	125 yd	Around 75 homes received light damage on the south side of Sioux Falls. Many trees were damaged or downed, and several businesses sustained light roof damage. Two people were injured from a downed tree on their home.
EF0	NW of Holland	Pipestone	MN	03:35–03:39	3.91 miles	30 yd	Light damage was reported from this tornado.
EF0	S of Balaton	Murray	MN	03:41–03:45	2.64 miles	250 yd	An old barn was unroofed.
EF0	SSE of Tracy	Murray	MN	03:43–03:44	0.66 miles	25 yd	Little to no damage was reported from this weak tornado.
EF0	WNW of Delft	Murray	MN	03:59–04:03	2.34 miles	250 yd	Trees were uprooted on a large farm west of Delft. Outbuildings at this location were heavily damaged, and a home at this location sustained extensive roof damage.
EF1	North Mankato to Mankato	Nicollet, Blue Earth	MN	04:00–04:06	5.71 miles	170 yd	A tornado, accompanied by wind gusts of up to 100 mph, struck North Mankato around 10:00 pm CST, first causing extensive damage to a farm outside of town. A trailer park on the north side of town received significant damage. Multiple trailers were rolled onto their sides, or had their roofs and walls torn off. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, and a power pole on Haughton Avenue was snapped, causing power lines to fall to the ground. Numerous trees were downed in Bluff Park, and the roof of a home was torn off nearby. The tornado then hit the Mankato Brewery, causing extensive damage to the roof of the building. The tornado then weakened, crossing into Mankato, where numerous homes and businesses received light to moderate damage.
EF2	SW of Good Thunder	Blue Earth	MN	04:08–04:10	1.01 miles	75 yd	A small, brief, but intense tornado leveled three barns near Good Thunder.
EF0	N of Spirit Lake, IA	Jackson	MN	04:11–04:16	6.29 miles	40 yd	Light damage was reported from this tornado.
EF0	Frost	Faribault	MN	04:26–04:28	0.68 miles	150 yd	Multiple trees were downed or uprooted, and an abandoned train station had sections of its roof torn off. Five outbuildings sustained significant damage.
EF1	SSW of Rock Valley to W of Sioux Center	Sioux	IA	04:27–04:34	6.89 miles	75 yd	A barn was flattened, and two homes were unroofed. Several trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF0	ENE of Manly to E of Plymouth	Worth, Cerro Gordo	IA	04:27–04:32	5.95 miles	150 yd	This tornado remained over open fields for most of its life.
EF0	NE of Hampton	Franklin	IA	04:28–04:30	1.25 miles	200 yd	An old barn was unroofed.
EF0	S of Greene	Butler	IA	04:49–04:50	0.73 miles	25 yd	Light damage was reported.
EF2	Southern Waverly	Bremer	IA	04:57–05:03	5.74 miles	165 yd	A strong tornado struck the south side of Waverly, unroofing many homes, damaging businesses, and downing power lines throughout the town. 30 people were injured.
EF4	WNW of Elma to N of Alta Vista	Howard, Chickasaw	IA	05:03–05:08	4.52 miles	275 yd	See section on this tornado.
EF0	S of Janesville	Black Hawk	IA	05:04–05:04	0.4 miles	25 yd	Several homes sustained light roof damage, and several tees were downed.
EF3	Waterloo	Black Hawk	IA	05:05–05:11	4.74 miles	580 yd	See section on this tornado.
EF0	Melbourne	Marshall	IA	05:07–05:11	4.7 miles	100 yd	Multiple homes were damaged in Melbourne, and many trees in town were uprooted.
EF0	WSW of Fayette	Fayette	IA	05:09–05:12	3.13 miles	25 yd	Light damage was reported.
EF0	N of Sigourney	Keokuk	IA	05:10–05:12	1.5 miles	430 yd	Many homes sustained light roof damage, and several weak outbuildings were flattened.
EF0	SSE of Homestead	Iowa	IA	05:12–05:13	1.38 miles		A large, cone, rain-wrapped tornado was photographed and videoed by storm chasers; however, no damage was reported.
EF3	WNW of Prairieburg to WSW of Langworthy	Linn, Jones	IA	05:13–05:23	10.51 miles	750 yd	A poorly-built home was leveled and swept away.
EF1	NNE of Farley	Dubuque	IA	05:14–05:17	3.3 miles	150 yd	Many trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF0	N of Wyoming	Jones	IA	05:20–05:22	1.62 miles	65 yd	An old barn was flattened.
EF0	WSW of Clarence	Cedar	IA	05:26–05:28	2.36 miles	85 yd	Shingles, gutters, and siding was torn off a home, and several trees were uprooted.
EF1	Tipton	Cedar	IA	05:27–05:28	0.9 miles	100 yd	Several outbuildings were destroyed, homes were unroofed, and many trees throughout the south side of town were downed or uprooted. Two people were injured.
EF1	NNW of West Liberty	Muscatine	IA	05:29–05:31	3.15 miles	80 yd	Several homes and grain bins were damaged, and trees were downed.
EF0	S of New Liberty	Scott	IA	05:39–05:40	0.84 miles	75 yd	The tornado touched down just northwest of town and moved off to the east, damaging a small barn and causing roof damage to a house. Several trees were downed along the path.
EF1	Walcott	Scott	IA	05:56–05:58	1.81 miles	115 yd	Approximately 15 homes and 1 business suffered damage. Trees were damaged as well.

January 2 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, January 2, 2025

EF#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (UTC)	Path length	Max width	Summary
EF1	Northern Davenport	Scott	IA	06:00–06:01	0.75 miles	50 yd	A gas station awning was toppled, windows of a restaurant were blown in, and large sections of the roof at the Clarion Hotel was partially torn off. Similar damage occurred at a Burger King, where sections of roofing was torn off. A few trees along the path were either snapped or uprooted.
EF0	W of Comanche	Clinton, Rock Island (IL)	IA, IL	06:01–06:04	3.38 miles	240 yd	Trees were damaged, and a home was damaged as well.
EF2	Davenport to East Moline, IL to Colona, IL	Scott, Rock Island (IL), Henry (IL)	IA, IL	06:03–06:12	8.2 miles	550 yd	1 death – See section on this tornado.
EF0	WSW of Gratiot	Lafayette	WI	06:05–06:07	2.67 miles	85 yd	The roof of a barn was ripped off, and a carport and sheds were damaged.
EF0	ENE of Ustick	Whiteside	IL	06:10–06:11	1.21 miles	40 yd	Trees were downed along the path of this tornado.
EF0	SW of Morrison	Whiteside	IL	06:11–06:12	2.05 miles	60 yd	Several trees were uprooted or snapped, and a few buildings/sheds sustained minor roofing damage.
EF0	SW of Eliza	Mercer	IL	06:13–06:14	1.71 miles	95 yd	Brief touchdown in a rural area. Eyewitness reports indicate that there was visible debris when the tornado was on the ground. Minor tree damage was reported.
EF1	S of Illinois City	Rock Island	IL	06:13–06:14	0.4 miles	90 yd	A mobile home was destroyed and a permanent home sustained roof damage. Trees were snapped and uprooted as well.
EF0	SSE of Illinois City to N of Buffalo Prairie	Rock Island	IL	06:14–06:17	2.16 miles	180 yd	Continuation of previous tornado, which briefly lifted. A house and a barn sustained minor roof damage, and many trees were snapped.
EF0	S of Forreston	Ogle	IL	06:15–06:17	1.64 miles	175 yd	Trees, roof shingles, and a metal shed were damaged.
EF2	E of German Valley	Stephenson	IL	06:15–06:18	1.82 miles	105 yd	Multiple homes damaged, including one that lost portions of its roof. Trees were damaged and 12 power poles were snapped as well.
EF0	SE of Polo	Ogle	IL	06:16–06:17	1.46 miles	35 yd	Brief tornado flipped a shed and downed trees and power lines.
EF3	Rock Falls	Whiteside, Lee	IL	06:17–06:24	6.57 miles	460 yd	Several homes were left with only interior rooms standing, the athletic fields at the local high school sustained major damage, and a water tower was punctured by flying debris, resulting in a major water leak. Numerous trees and power poles were snapped along the path, and pivot irrigation systems were flipped and twisted. Outbuildings at the local airport were swept away, as well. Seven people were injured, with two of those being critical.
EF2	N of Cambridge	Henry	IL	06:17–06:22	5.68 miles	160 yd	Several outbuildings and two mobile homes were destroyed. A few homes sustained roof and siding damage and outbuildings were destroyed. A few trees were snapped or uprooted along most of the track. A tower structure was damaged towards the end of the path.
EF3	N of Galesburg	Knox	IL	06:19–06:25	6.18 miles	1050 yd	Tornado caused major damage near Galesburg, where several homes, mobile homes, and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed, and many trees were snapped. Multiple vehicles were tossed or flipped as well. A well-built home had mostly collapsed, and trees off I-74 were debarked.
EF1	NE of Berwick to SW of Abingdon	Warren, Knox	IL	06:21–06:25	4.04 miles	150 yd	Tornado damaged a barn and several garages.
EF0	NNW of Bardolph	McDonough	IL	06:22–06:24	3.08 miles	50 yd	Light damage was observed from this tornado.
EF1	N of Winnebago to Southern Rockford	Winnebago	IL	06:23–06:31	9.09 miles	500 yd	A rain-wrapped, stovepipe tornado touched down north of Winnebago, damaging two gas stations and several restaurants along U.S. 20, and a poorly-built metal warehouse had its roof torn off. A subdivision west of Rockford sustained heavy damage, with many unroofed homes. Some trees were downed or uprooted, before the tornado moved into Rockford, where numerous buildings sustained light damage.
EF0	SE of Oregon	Ogle	IL	06:26–06:27	1 mile	200 yd	A weak tornado blew the roof off an outbuilding, caused minor damage to homes, and snapped tree limbs.
EF2	Dixon	Lee	IL	06:27–06:29	1.49 miles	45 yd	A brief, but strong tornado struck the west side of Dixon, ripping the roofs and exterior walls off of two homes. Power lines were downed throughout town. One person suffered a minor injury.
EF0	NE of Langley to S of Wyanet	Bureau	IL	06:30–06:36	5.9 miles	120 yd	A weak tornado blew the roof off an outbuilding, caused minor damage to homes, and snapped tree limbs.
EF0	S of Sheffield to W of Buda	Bureau	IL	06:31–06:33	2.7 miles	90 yd	Several trees were uprooted and large tree limbs snapped.
EF1	S of Williamsfield	Knox	IL	06:39–06:41	2.13 miles	55 yd	Trees and power lines were damaged.
EF3	S of Toulon to ENE of Edelstein	Stark, Peoria	IL	06:40–06:57	16.83 miles	1300 yd	A large, rain-wrapped tornado touched down south of Toulon, destroying several farms and outbuildings. A well-built home lost its roof and exterior walls, and a barn was swept away.
EF1	Hollowayville to Spring Valley	Bureau	IL	06:41–06:48	6.82 miles	160 yd	Numerous trees were downed along the path of this tornado. Power poles, lines, and homes were damaged in both Hollowayville and Spring Valley.
EF0	SE of Sycamore	DeKalb	IL	06:42–06:45	3.11 miles	125 yd	Large tree limbs were snapped.
EF0	N of Waterman	DeKalb	IL	06:43–06:44	0.56 miles	20 yd	Two trees were downed, and a barn lost its roof.
EF0	Rollo	DeKalb	IL	06:43–06:45	2.03 miles	420 yd	A swath of trees was damaged.
EF1	NE of Meriden	LaSalle	IL	06:44–06:45	1.04 miles	310 yd	Three homes sustained significant roof damage.
EF0	N of Dimmick to N of LaSalle	LaSalle	IL	06:44–06:50	5.27 miles	100 yd	Large tree branches were snapped. Two separate weather stations recorded gusts of 73 mph (117 km/h).
EF0	WSW of Havana	Fulton, Mason	IL	06:45–06:49	3.24 miles	50 yd	Trees were damaged.
EF0	N of Franks to N of Sandwich	DeKalb	IL	06:46–06:50	4.13 miles	65 yd	A carport and outbuilding were damaged, as well as several trees.
EF1	N of Wenona to NW of Long Point	Marshall, LaSalle, Livingston	IL	06:48–06:56	8.36 miles	950 yd	Several homes were damaged, and many outbuildings were damaged or destroyed.
EF1	SE of Brimfield to S of Kickapoo	Peoria	IL	06:55–07:02	7.76 miles	320 yd	One home sustained roof damage, several bricks were dislodged at a second house, and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF2	NW of Rome	Peoria, Woodford	IL	06:58–07:02	4.88 miles	760 yd	A significant tornado impacted the town of Rome, unroofing several homes and destroying three mobile homes. Power lines and poles were downed throughout the community, and trees across the Illinois River, where it lifted in Woodford County. 25 people were injured by this tornado.
EF1	Aurora	Kane	IL	07:04–07:05	1.46 miles	75 yd	A tornado touched down in Aurora, damaging around 90 homes and downing many trees. One person was injured by a falling tree.
EF0	Downtown Peoria	Peoria	IL	07:05–07:06	0.7 miles	40 yd	A weak tornado touched down in downtown Peoria, causing significant damage to trees. Gutters, siding, and shingles were torn off at least 15 homes, while others sustained little to no visible damage.
EF0	E of Bath	Mason	IL	07:09–07:11	1.16 miles	90 yd	Numerous trees were downed.
EF2	S of Beverly Manor to S of Washington	Tazewell	IL	07:15–07:18	3.36 miles	1095 yd	Numerous trees were downed along the path of this tornado, and a well-built home was unroofed.
EF1	Roanoke	Woodford	IL	07:17	0.19 miles	50 yd	A very brief tornado unroofed two homes on the north side of Roanoke.
EF4	NE of Deer Creek to Goodfield to Congerville	Woodford	IL	07:20–07:27	6.49 miles	1625 yd	1 death – See section on this tornado.
EF1	Woodstock to Ridgefield	McHenry	IL	07:21–07:26	5.54 miles	405 yd	Several office buildings, many homes, and a barn were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were downed. Two people were injured in a car that was struck by debris.
EF0	N of Marseilles	La Salle	IL	07:39–07:41	0.92 miles	50 yd	Light damage was reported.
EF0	NNW of Covell	McLean	IL	07:40–07:43	3.72 miles	65 yd	Light damage was reported.
EF2	Northern Pontiac	Livingston	IL	07:41–07:42	0.91 miles	90 yd	A brief, but intense tornado touched down on the north side of Pontiac, tearing the roof off the high school. Several homes were unroofed, power poles were snapped, and lines were downed across the north side of town. Five people were injured.
EF1	ESE of Ritchie	Will, Kankakee	IL	07:45–07:50	4.93 miles	120 yd	The roof was torn off a house, a fence was damaged, and trees and tree limbs were downed.
EF0	NE of Beecher to NW of Lowell, IN	Will, Lake (IN)	IL, IN	07:51–07:59	7.62 miles	250 yd
EF0	ENE of Donovan	Iroquois	IL	07:51–07:53	2.77 miles	60 yd	Several trees were either snapped or uprooted. A house suffered roof and gutter damage and had a television antenna blown off. Several other homes sustained shingle and siding damage, with one home having a gazebo lifted and deposited onto the roof.
EF0	N of Watseka	Iroquois	IL	07:51–07:52	0.67 miles	45 yd	Limbs were torn off trees.
EF0	SSW of Watseka	Iroquois	IL	07:51–07:52	0.61 miles	30 yd	Limbs were torn off trees.
EF0	SW of Cissna Park	Iroquois	IL	07:52–07:53	0.53 miles	55 yd	Brief tornado touched down in a wooded area.
EF0	SW of Clarence	Ford	IL	07:52–07:53			This tornado stayed over an open field for its brief lifespan.
EF1	Savoy	Champaign	IL	07:52–07:55	2.82 miles	300 yd	A weak tornado blew through Savoy. Numerous trees and power poles were downed, a barn was shifted from its foundation, and siding and roofing was blown off of houses and farm buildings.
EF0	S of Hayes	Douglas	IL	07:53–07:54	1.21 miles	40 yd	A roof was blown off an old barn.
EF2	SW of Tuscola	Douglas	IL	07:53–07:57	3.18 miles	150 yd	A turkey barn was flattened.
EF0	S of Lake Village	Newton	IN	08:04–08:06	1.45 miles	100 yd	A weak tornado caused little to no damage.
EF2	Hoosier to E of Linton	Greene	IN	08:51–08:55	3.97 miles	250 yd	One home had its roof removed and most of its walls collapsed.
EF2	S of Delphi	Carroll	IN	09:00–09:03	2.98 miles	200 yd	A factory had sections of roofing peeled off, and a home lost its roof. Trees and power poles were snapped.
EF3	NW of Concord	Tippecanoe	IN	09:01–09:04	3.77 miles	175 yd	Trees were denuded, and an outbuilding was completely swept away, without a trace.
EF2	N of Owensburg to S of Springville	Greene, Lawrence	IN	09:03–09:10	6.10 miles	490 yd	A large tornado downed numerous trees along its path. Several homes north of Owensburg were unroofed, and many outbuildings were destroyed. Thirteen people were injured.
EF2	Southern Plainfield to Young	Hendricks, Morgan	IN	09:04–09:10	5.51 miles	770 yd	A strong, large tornado passed through Mooresville around 4:00 am (EST) and caused significant damage to farmsteads, trees, outbuildings, and irrigation pivots. Numerous homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed in Mooresville, causing at least 40 injuries.
EF1	Carmel	Hamilton	IN	09:15–09:16	1.19 miles	70 yd	Several homes were unroofed, power lines were damaged, and trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF1	Summitville to Gaston	Madison, Delaware	IN	09:59–10:09	9.02 miles	670 yd	A large, but weak tornado struck Summitville, where four farm structures and two garages were either damaged or destroyed, and several homes and businesses sustained minor roof, window, and siding damage. In Gaston, the tornado caused roof damage to several homes and heavily damaged several outbuildings. Some trees were uprooted along the path.
EF1	Eastern Anderson	Madison	IN	10:10–10:12	1.87 miles	145 yd	Up to 50 homes and businesses were damaged. Five people were injured.
EF0	W of Middletown	Madison	IN	10:24	0.13 miles	30 yd	Two barns were heavily damaged.
EF2	NW of Saltillo to WNW of Campbellsburg	Washington	IN	10:33–10:36	1.81 miles	95 yd	Several mobile homes in Saltillo were completely destroyed, and other homes in the town were unroofed. A church in Saltillo sustained significant roof damage as well. The tornado injured 17 people and lifted just before entering Campbellsburg.
EF3	New Castle	Henry	IN	10:36–10:40	4.22 miles	450 yd	4 deaths – See section on this tornado.
EF1	N of Retreat	Jackson	IN	11:01–11:02	1 mile	20 yd	A barn was flattened, and several trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF1	NW of Rising Sun	Ohio	IN	11:13–11:14	1.1 miles	20 yd	A manufactured home was blown off its foundation, and several dozen trees were snapped or uprooted. A few houses were damaged, and more trees were downed in a wooded area and near.
EF1	NW of Lawrenceburg	Dearborn	IN	11:16–11:17	0.41 miles	50 yd	Many trees were snapped or uprooted. Two homes sustained significant roof damage.
EF1	NNW of Hamilton	Butler	OH	11:21–11:24	2.21 miles	55 yd	A pickup truck was damaged and a utility pole was snapped.
EF2	Sharonville	Hamilton	OH	11:36–11:37	0.78 miles	90 yd	Tornado completely destroyed an industrial building and damaged multiple homes. Some of these homes sustained significant roof loss, one of which lost a portion of an exterior brick wall. Extensive damage to trees, fences, and power lines occurred along much of the path. Seven people were injured.
EF1	Taylor Mill	Kenton	KY	11:44–11:46	1.94 miles	45 yd	Around 40 homes were damaged, and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. Two people were injured.
EF1	NNE of Williamstown	Grant	KY	12:02–12:05	2.27 miles	250 yd	Several outbuildings were destroyed.
EF1	S of Maysville	Mason	KY	12:45–12:47	1.02 miles	95 yd	Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF1	NE of Cynthiana	Harrison	KY	12:57–13:00	2.73 miles	80 yd	A trailer was overturned while an additional 15 to 20 were damaged.
EF1	NE of Tollesboro	Lewis	KY	13:35–13:38	2.78 miles	360 yd	A tornado moved through Tollesboro, damaging 80% of buildings in the town. Several outbuildings, such as barns and garages, were flattened.
EF2	Nitro	Kanawha	WV	15:16–15:18	1.52 miles	75 yd	Several homes were unroofed, power lines were downed, and trees were snapped throughout town. Five people were injured.
EF1	NW of Leet	Lincoln	WV	15:39–15:42	2.89 miles	100 yd	Numerous trees were downed.
EF1	Shady Spring	Raleigh	WV	16:26–16:28	1.17 miles	65 yd	Several homes were damaged. One person was injured.
EF2	N of Union	Monroe	WV	16:53–16:57	4.63 miles	120 yd	Six mobile homes, a shed, and an outbuilding were destroyed, much of the roof was removed from a home, and another home sustained minor structural damage. Ten buildings in all were damaged or destroyed by the tornado. Numerous trees and power poles were downed as well.
EF2	NE of Blacksburg	Montgomery	VA	17:10–17:11	0.81 miles	75 yd	Power lines were downed and snapped, and numerous trees were downed. An old barn was swept away.
EF0	NW of Hiwassee	Pulaski	VA	17:13–17:15	0.56 miles	35 yd	Three homes were damaged in Hiwassee.
EF0	WSW of Christiansburg	Montgomery	VA	17:14–17:15	0.73 miles	60 yd	Minor damage to structures occurred.
EF0	N of Huddleston	Bedford	VA	17:21–17:22	0.59 miles	45 yd	Trees were blown down.
EF2	Altavista	Campbell, Pittsylvania	VA	17:28–17:31	2.67 miles	160 yd	A strong tornado impacted Altavista, destroying several homes and many outbuildings. Power lines were downed, power poles were snapped in half, and trees were snapped throughout town. Vehicles were tossed up to 100 yards away from their origin as well. 24 people were injured in this tornado, with seven of these injuries being critical.
EF2	N of Appomattox	Appomattox	VA	17:33–17:37	3.34 miles	155 yd	Chicken houses and outbuildings were destroyed, a house and a car sustained significant damage, and many trees were downed.
EF2	SW of Glade Hill	Franklin	VA	17:45–17:48	2.2 miles	140 yd	Several homes were damaged, a fifth wheel travel trailer was overturned and severely damaged, and several trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF0	S of Gladys	Campbell	VA	18:01–18:02	0.78 miles	25 yd
EF0	NW of Hinesville	Pittsylvania	VA	18:05–18:06	1.78 miles	40 yd	Limbs were torn off trees.
EF0	S of Phenix	Charlotte	VA	18:10–18:11	0.33 miles	40 yd	Light damage was reported.
EF3	Northern Danville	City of Danville	VA	18:11–18:15	3.86 miles	645 yd	3 deaths – See section on this tornado.
EF2	South Boston	Halifax	VA	18:16–18:17	0.67 miles	65 yd	A Walmart Supercenter sustained significant damage, a restaurant lost sections of roofing, and windows were blown in at a school. 35 people were injured.
EF1	Roxboro	Person	NC	18:43–18:44	1.47 miles	75 yd	Around 30 homes and businesses were damaged.
EF0	NNW of Mebane	Alamance	NC	18:48–18:49	0.98 miles	60 yd	Minor damage was reported.
EF1	NW of Butner	Granville	NC	18:56–18:58	1.62 miles	65 yd	A single-wide mobile home was completely destroyed, injuring the two occupants, and significant tree damage was observed. Seven homes and six sheds or outbuildings were damaged.
EF1	Durham	Durham	NC	19:02–19:03	0.69 miles	75 yd	Multiple tree branches were snapped, two elevated signs were damaged, and portions of roofing was removed from several small retail buildings.
EF0	S of Nashville	Nash	NC	19:27–19:28	0.16 miles	15 yd	Trees and power lines were downed.
EF1	Downtown Raleigh	Wake	NC	19:33–19:36	2.67 miles	180 yd	Several large skyscrapers had their windows blown in, cars were rolled over and/or tossed short distances, and trees were snapped in downtown. Some homes outside of downtown had their roofs partially removed.
EF1	N of Hertford	Perquimans	NC	19:43–19:45	2.39 miles	105 yd	Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF1	Elizabeth City	Pasquotank	NC	19:45–19:46	1.03 miles	50 yd	Several trees were downed and two homes were unroofed.
EF0	N of Soperton	Treutlen	GA	20:31–20:35	1.78 miles	65 yd	Trees were downed.
EF0	S of Ludowici	Long	GA	20:34–20:36	0.78 miles	30 yd	Light damage was reported.
EF0	S of Statesboro	Bulloch	GA	20:47–20:48	0.57 miles	60 yd	Shingles were blown off several homes, and two trees were downed by this brief tornado.
EF0	E of Butts	Jenkins	GA	21:00–21:06	3.84 miles	100 yd	Trees were downed.
EF0	SSW of Louisville	Jefferson	GA	21:04–21:09	2.5 miles	85 yd	Multiple trees were snapped or uprooted; one fallen tree caused substantial damage to a residence and vehicle while a second destroyed a barn. A residence sustained minor porch and siding damage.
EF1	WNW of Gumbranch	Liberty	GA	21:07–21:13	3.07 miles	150 yd	Sporadic tree damage was observed, a fence was damaged, and a vehicle was crushed by a fallen tree.
EF1	SSW of Pembroke	Bryan	GA	21:09–21:16	3.41 miles	90 yd	Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF1	N of Sylvania	Screven	GA	21:10–21:16	3.09 miles	195 yd	Extensive tree damage was observed; metal sheeting was lofted into tree tops.
EF2	N of Jackson to SW of Windsor	Aiken	SC	21:20–21:50	14.21 miles	1160 yd	Numerous trees and many homes, vehicles, and other structures were damaged.
EF0	S of Denmark	Bamberg	SC	21:25–21:26	0.64 miles	45 yd	A tree inflicted minor damage to a home upon falling.
EF0	SW of Estill	Hampton	SC	21:51–21:53	0.99 miles	90 yd	Trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF1	S of Williams	Colleton	SC	21:58–22:00	1.05 miles	160 yd	Trees were snapped or downed, and minor damage was inflicted to outbuildings and chicken houses.
EF0	W of Prosperity	Newberry	SC	23:05–23:09	2.4 miles	120 yd	Several pine trees were snapped or uprooted, one of which fell onto a home.
EF1	Winnsboro Mills	Fairfield	SC	23:51–23:55	1.91 miles	80 yd	Multiple wooden poles and trees were snapped or bent, the roof was removed from the back porch of a house, and a few residences sustained minor roof damage.

Aftermath

Late in the morning on January 2, the state of Illinois declared a state of emergency, after a record-breaking amount of tornadoes ravaged the state earlier in the morning. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sent federal aid to victims of the tornadoes in Central Illinois, where it was estimated that 20,000 people were left homeless. Following the declaration of emergency in the state of Illinois, Iowa issued a state of emergency as well, as a result of the violent tornadoes that impacted Northeast and Central Iowa throughout the night on January 1-2.

At 5:00 pm (EST) on January 2, the state of Indiana declared a state of emergency as a result of the outbreak, where the deadliest tornado of the outbreak occurred (at New Castle). Several figures from insurance companies and federal institutions estimated damages of the outbreak exceeding $3 billion (2025 USD) in damages, making it one of the costliest outbreaks in modern history.

After the cold front swept through the nation, which was located behind the QLCS, flash freeze was recorded, after temperatures dropped more than 40°F, which allowed for measurable snow after the tornadoes. In Valley City, North Dakota, 13 inches of snow occurred, just after a deadly, EF2 tornado struck the city around sunset. Large sections of I-94 in North Dakota were closed, as well as I-29 in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa, where blizzard conditions occurred. A fatal pileup occurred on I-35, just south of Clear Lake, Iowa, due to dangerous road conditions following the flash freeze.

Morning convection in Florida caused flash flooding on January 2, which led to a total of 4.01 inches of rain recorded in one hour at Madison. Surrounding areas, such as Tallahassee, Perry, and Crawfordville, received in excess of 6 inches of rain from the entire event. A total of $1.5 billion (2025 USD) in damages occurred from the major flooding in the Southeast, along with several injuries and one fatality.

See Also

• Late-May 1998 tornado outbreak and derecho
• June 12–13, 2013 derecho series
• June 2010 Northern Plains tornado outbreak