Live updates: Recovery from Kentucky tornadoes ‘is going to be a very long process’
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Tornadoes: Latest updates from ravaged Kentucky
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Kentucky this weekend suffered the “most severe tornado event in Kentucky’s history” which may have killed more than 100 people, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
Western Kentucky communities were decimated by the storms which swept into Kentucky Friday night into Saturday morning. Homes and businesses were destroyed and people were left trapped.
President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for Breckenridge, Bullitt, Caldwell, Fulton, Graves, Grayson, Hickman, Hopkins, Lyon, Meade, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Shelby, Spencer, and Warren counties in Kentucky. He gave FEMA the authority to provide the help necessary to “alleviate the impacts of the emergency,” according to a statement from the White House.
Resources were also pouring in from surrounding areas to help the affected western Kentucky towns, according to officials.
“Today Kentucky is absolutely united,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a tweet Saturday. “We are united with our people; united to find and rescue as many as possible; united to grieve; and united to be here for our impacted families – not just today, but in the years to come so that we can rebuild together.”
Here are the latest updates and developments on the damage and effects of the storms.
Over 1,000 homes are ‘just gone’
4:50 p.m. – Beshear said during a press conference Sunday that more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed by the tornadoes.
“I don’t think we’ll have seen damage at this scale, ever,” Beshear said.
Beshear also said the state didn’t have a firm number on injuries from the storms. He said hospitals in Mayfield and Bowling Green had significant numbers of patients. At least four counties had death tolls in the double digits.
“We’re still finding bodies,” Beshear said.
Beshear asks for major disaster declaration
4:45 p.m. – The Kentucky governor asked federal officials for a major disaster declaration Sunday afternoon, according to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. Criswell indicated during a press conference Sunday that the request would be approved.
A major disaster can be declared by the president for any natural event “that the president determines has caused damage of such severity that it is beyond the combined capabilities of state and local governments to respond,” according to FEMA.
A major disaster declaration provides a wide range of federal assistance programs for individuals and public infrastructure, including funds for both emergency and permanent work.
Criswell said the disaster declaration would allow the federal government to allocate money toward affected indivduals. It would also allow them to help with long-term repair of critical infrastructure.
Kentucky Rep. James Comer spoke at the press conference held in Mayfield Sunday and said “this is going to be a very long process” to recover from the storms. But he said he knew the community would come back from the damages.
Federal officials visit hard-hit regions in Kentucky
4:30 p.m. – FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas visited Kentucky to see some of the more significant damage in the state Sunday, including the flattened candle factory in Mayfield.
“We’ve been watching this,” Criswell said. “We’ve been seeing the pictures of this. But standing there, standing in these communities, you don’t get hat feeling from a picture.” Criswell added that she wanted to see it for herself to make sure FEMA was providing enough assistance.
Criswell said she understood that housing, power, water and fuel were major concerns in Kentucky’s hardest-hit areas. FEMA and other agencies were working to address those issues as quickly as possible.
She also said she understood that communications and internet services had been affected and some residents may not be able to get online to access web pages where federal officials could help provide relief. She said FEMA representatives would be on the ground Monday to help people access those web pages.
Information on intensity, size of Kentucky tornadoes
2:45 p.m. – Preliminary reports from state and local officials indicated the severity of the storms that occurred over the weekend were among the worst in state history.
Multiple counties experienced tornado winds which exceeded 136 miles per hour, the threshold for an EF-3 tornado, according to the NOAA.
The National Weather Service was still working to determine how many tornadoes touched down in Kentucky, and how long they stayed on the ground. Kentucky Emergency Management indicated Saturday that one tornado was on the ground more than 220 miles.
FEMA bringing meals, water to Kentucky
1:30 p.m. – FEMA announced Sunday it was setting up an “incident support base” at Fort Campbell “to rapidly deploy personnel and supplies as needed.” The response includes Urban Search and Rescue Teams, 52 generators, 30,000 meals, 45,000 liters of water, cots, blankets, infant toddler kits and medical equipment.
Two emergency operations vehicles have also been sent to Kentucky, FEMA said. Those vehicles have emergency communication capabilities for federal resources, if needed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers temporary power and planning and response teams are on alert.
Additional staging teams and damage assessment staff are being mobilized and prepared to deploy if needed, according to FEMA.
FEMA also said 11 shelters were open in Kentucky.
Additionally, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas were traveling to Kentucky Sunday to meet Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and local officials to discuss needs while touring the damaged areas.
Fayette County sheriff accepting donations for those in need
1:15 p.m. – The Fayette County sheriff’s office announced Sunday it was accepting donated items which would be sent to Kentucky communities affected by the storms. Those items included:
- Bottled water or Gatorade
- Individually packaged non-perishable food items (granola bars, fruit cups, tuna packs, etc.)
- Paper towels
- Toilet paper
- Large trash bags
- Cleaning supplies
- Disposable gloves
- Masks
- First-aid supplies
- Flash lights
- Batteries
The sheriff’s office said in a statement that items can be dropped off in the Fayette District Court building at 150 N. Limestone. Citizens can also call (859) 272-1771 to request that someone come pick their items up.
Officials confirm tornado damage in Taylor County
12:30 p.m. – Taylor County suffered tornado damage strong enough to categorize it as an EF-2 tornado at least, according to the National Weather Service in Louisville. Winds speeds reached about 120 miles per hour.
“Damage assessment continues so these figures could change,” the National Weather Service in Louisville said in a tweet. “Larger aerial survey ongoing to work out the number of separate tornadoes.”
The National Weather Service in Louisville has confirmed storm damage in seven of the counties in its region. It’s still surveying damage in several other counties too.
FEMA chief: Unusually strong storms will be the ‘new normal’
11:10 a.m. – FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN’s Jake Tapper on State of the Union that the magnitude of these tornadoes was “incredibly unusual.” But “this is going to be our new normal,” Criswell said. “And the effects that we’re seeing from climate change are the crisis of our generation.”
“We’re taking a lot of efforts at FEMA to work with communities to help reduce the impacts that we’re seeing from these severe weather events and help to develop systemwide projects that can help protect communities,” Criswell said. And so we will continue to work on helping to reduce the impacts, but we’re also prepared to respond to any community that gets impacted by one of these severe events.”
‘It’ll be a miracle’ if anyone else rescued from Mayfield factory
10:45 a.m. – Beshear said on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday morning that it had been more than 24 hours since anyone had been rescued alive from the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory. Only 40 out of 110 workers had been rescued.
“It’ll be a miracle if we pull anybody else out of that. It’s now 15 feet deep of steel, cars on top of where the roof was,” Beshear said to CNN’s Jake Tapper. “Just – just tough. But our rescuers out there are incredible. They worked through the night while it was occurring, putting themselves in danger, through all of yesterday, hopefully caught a few hours of sleep last night.”
Beshear also said Kentucky’s death toll would exceed 100.
Beshear also told NBC News’ Chuck Todd there were still lots of people unaccounted for.
“In my dad’s hometown of Dawson Springs: about 2,700 people. The unaccounted for was about eight pages, single-spaced,” Beshear said on NBC’s Meet the Press.
Kentucky basketball planning telethon to help recovery
10:30 a.m. – University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari said Saturday that his team will likely have a telethon Tuesday to raise money for recovery efforts after the deadly storms.
“The Commonwealth really was dealt an unbelievable blow that’s going to take decades to fix,” Calipari said.
Calipari led a telethon to raise funds after an earthquake hit Haiti in 2010 and again when flooding from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 did extensive damage in the Houston area.
Kentucky police: Call these numbers if you want to offer help
10 a.m. – State police on Sunday asked citizens to avoid calling 911 or the main phone line for Post 1 unless they were calling for legitimate emergencies. State police said they had received calls from “many citizens” who wanted to offer support as emergency responders handle the fallout of the tornadoes.
Those wishing to volunteer are asked to call (270) 331-1979. Those wishing to offer donations are asked to call (270) 297-7772 or (270) 331-0945, state police said.
“Troopers and officers continue to request the public avoid areas directly impacted by the tornado,” state police said.
More than $800,000 donated to Kentucky relief fund
9:45 a.m. – Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday morning that $829,085 had been donated to the state’s relief fund. Nearly 7,500 donations had been made.
“So many people are stepping up to help Kentuckians,” he said.
Anyone who wanted to help was encouraged to make a donation at TeamWKYReliefFund.ky.gov.
More than 75,000 in Kentucky without power
9:30 a.m. – More than 76,000 were still without power Sunday morning, according to PowerOutages.us, a website that tracks power outages. Warren County had the highest number of reported outages with more than 12,000 as of Sunday morning.
Nearly 95 percent of customers tracked in Graves County, the county which Mayfield is in, had outages as of Sunday morning, according to PowerOutages.us.
Hardest-hit areas get clearer weather. Rain, storms may follow again
9 a.m. – The entire state should be clear of rain on Monday following the severe weather over the weekend, but there’s a chance showers will return for western and northern Kentucky Tuesday, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service.
Later in the week, there’s a chance for storms in the western-most part of the state, according to the National Weather Service. Wednesday was supposed to be cloudy with temperatures getting into the 70s. Storms were expected to return Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah.
Owners of collapsed Mayfield candle factory: We’re heartbroken
8:30 a.m. – Mayfield Consumer Products, the company which owned the candle factory that collapsed in Mayfield during the tornado, said in a statement that the deaths and injuries of the factory workers were tragic.
“We’re heartbroken about this, and our immediate efforts are to assist those affected by this terrible disaster,” CEO Troy Propes said in a statement. “Our company is family-owned and our employees, some who have worked with us for many years, are cherished. We’re immediately establishing an emergency fund to assist our employees and their families.
“We’re grateful to the first responders who heroically assisted our employees following the storm. And, we’re thankful for those who are generously offering to assist us. Your prayers are needed and appreciated.”
There were 110 people inside the factory when it collapsed. At the time of the last update given by state officials Saturday, only 40 people had been rescued.
‘World class expertise’ will help survey tornado in western Kentucky
8 a.m. – The National Weather Service in Paducah said “world class expertise” was arriving Monday to assess wind speed and tornado rating in western Kentucky.
One tornado in Western Kentucky had a historic long track and was categorized as being at least an EF-3 tornado. The maximum width of the storm was at least three-fourths of a mile, according to the National Weather Service.
Surveys of the tornadoes in western Kentucky were expected to continue for the next several days.
National Weather Service: Bowling Green winds hit 155 mph
7:45 a.m. – The National Weather Service said Sunday that winds reached 155 miles per hour in Bowling Green, 115 miles per hour in Hardyville and 105 miles per hour near Falls of Rough. The tornado in Bowling Green was categorized as an EF-3. The tornado in Hardyville was categorized as an EF-2. The tornado near Falls of Rough was an EF-1.
There were also winds at 90 miles per hour in Horse Cave, which was categorized as an EF-1 tornado, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service was still assessing damage in the Bowling Green area, western Spencer County and the area of Ohio, Breckinridge and Grayson counties.
Pregnant mother lost child during Kentucky tornado, pastor says
7:15 a.m. – A pregnant mother lost her child after the tornado swept her and her children into a field behind their home, according to a report from WLWT5 in Louisville.
The family’s house was leveled, according to pastor Bobby Waldridge from Yahweh Baptist Church in Mayfield.
Waldridge told WLWT that the woman’s husband was found in the rubble of the home. The mother, boys and husband all survived but had significant injuries, according to WLWT.
President Biden reaffirms federal support for Kentucky
7 a.m. – The White House said President Joe Biden spoke with Beshear again Saturday evening to get another update on the damage done in the storms.
“The President reaffirmed the Federal government’s support for the people of Kentucky throughout the difficult time ahead,” White House officials said in a statement.
Biden had previously declared an emergency in the state and also said he planned to visit Kentucky to survey the damage himself.
Kentucky State Police: Avoid going to affected areas
10:06 p.m. – State police asked citizens to avoid traveling to hard-hit areas of Kentucky if they weren’t “actively involved in rescue operations or emergency services.”
“With widespread power outages, traffic control devices are not operational and there is no available lighting at many intersections throughout the area creating a serious hazard,” state police said in a statement Saturday night.
Officials said they were investigating a “serious injury collision” involving three vehicles in Calloway County which occurred around 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
State police also said there was a curfew in effect in Mayfield and other areas of Graves County. The curfew is in effect from dusk until dawn.
Inmate on work release escaped after candle factory collapse
9:51 p.m. – An inmate at the Graves County Jail was allegedly at-large Saturday night because he walked away from the hospital after being treated for injuries sustained in the MCP Candle Factory collapse, according to state police.
Francisco Starks, 44, was on work release at the factory when it collapsed during the storm. He was rescued from the wreckage and taken to the Jackson Purchase Medical Center. He was released from the hospital after being treated.
“Upon his release, he walked away from the hospital,” state police said.
Starks was originally in the Graves County Jail on charges of burglary, theft of an automobile and receiving stolen property, according to state police. Anyone with information about his whereabouts was asked to call state police at 270-856-3721 or anonymously at 1-800-222-5555.
Family drives to Mayfield hoping to find a missing mother
10:02 p.m. – When Chris Chism and his fiancee, Paige Tingle, found out that Chism’s mother was trapped in the candle factory collapse Saturday, they were prepared to pull her out of the rubble. They drove to Mayfield from Oldham County.
They were shocked by the scope of damage and tried to ask local officials if they’d seen 52-year-old Jill Monroe, Chism’s mother and a worker at the factory. They watched as officials put dead bodies into trucks. They were asked to wait elsewhere while officials continued their efforts to rescue and recover trapped victims.
Aerial photos, videos show scary view of KY tornado damage
7:52 p.m. – Jaw-dropping aerial views of the damage in Mayfield show just how hard Kentucky was hit by storms this weekend.
Damage in Mayfield was caused by a tornado that reportedly started in Arkansas and traveled more than 200 miles across state lines. Mayfield reportedly was the hardest-hit area. Images and videos showed homes and businesses which had been leveled.
President Biden says he’ll visit Kentucky after tornadoes
7:14 p.m. – Biden said he plans to visit Kentucky soon to survey the damage done by the weekend’s storms. He declared an emergency in the state and said the federal government would provide “whatever is needed” to help.
The president said that Beshear told him parts of the state looked “like a war zone but worse.” He also said that he plans to visit the state soon to survey the damage.
This story was originally published December 12, 2021 at 6:28 AM.
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