Throughout the evening hours of December 10, 2021, a large and destructive tornado struck areas in and around the cities and communities of Monette and Leachville in Arkansas, Braggadocio and Hayti in Missouri, and Tiptonville and Samburg in Tennessee, killing eight people and injuring 16 others.

On December 8, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) outlined a slight risk of severe weather across a broad area of the Mississippi Valley.

[4] The following day, the SPC noted increased certainty of organized severe thunderstorm potential extending from southeastern Arkansas northeast into southern Indiana, thereby upgrading that region to an enhanced risk.

[8] Though this activity lacked much vigor at its onset due to a strong capping inversion,[9] the convective cells began to show organization as they progressed eastward.

The tornado first touched down in Craighead County, Arkansas, just north of Bay, at 7:07 p.m. CST (01:07 UTC) on the evening of December 10, initially causing minor EF0 tree and outbuilding damage.

The tornado quickly intensified to EF2 strength as it crossed AR 18 and passed northwest of Lake City, downing trees and damaging or destroying some metal outbuildings.

[13] The tornado continued northeast for six miles (9.7 km) and grew larger as it passed near the rural community of Buckeye, and very intense tree damage was noted along West County Road 38.

Trees were snapped and denuded, power poles were downed, a couple of homes were heavily damaged, and a pickup truck was tossed along this segment of the path.

As it crossed I-55 just south of Hayti, the large wedge tornado weakened back to EF2 strength and blew multiple semi-trailer trucks and a car off the highway into a field.

[16][17][18] East of Hayti, the tornado caused additional EF2 power pole damage and then crossed the Mississippi River into Lake County, Tennessee around 8:20 p.m. CST (02:20 UTC).

Moving through central Lake County, the tornado narrowly missed the small community of Wynnburg, producing EF3 damage in rural areas outside of town, where numerous large trees were snapped and denuded, and some were debarked.

The tornado reached peak intensity a second time near Tiptonville as it moved across the southern shore of Reelfoot Lake, striking the Cypress Point Resort and causing three fatalities.

It continued northeastward along the road, causing EF0 tree limb damage until it dissipated approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) northeast of Samburg at 8:36 p.m. CST (02:36 UTC).

[13][19] The tornado was rated as a low-end EF4 with winds estimated at 170 mph (270 km/h), reaching a peak width of 1,800 yards (1,600 m) along an 81.17-mile (130.63 km) path through portions of three states, remaining on the ground for 89 minutes.