Residents of a Kentucky town devastated by a tornado could be without heat, water and electricity in chilly temperatures for a long time, the mayor warned Monday, as officials struggled to restore services after a swarm of twisters leveled neighborhoods and killed dozens of people in five states. On Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear said the death toll is up to 74 in the state, and there are more than 109 people who still have not been found.Beshear said the age range in deaths is from 5 months to 86 years old, and six of them are under 18.In Mayfield, one of the hardest-hit spots, at least eight people died when a candle factory was leveled. Emergency officials now believe everyone who was in the factory that was hit by a powerful tornado has been accounted for.The significant update comes just hours after officials said earlier Monday that they were still sifting through the rubble of the building in Mayfield.At least 14 people are dead in four other states: Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri.Multiple Kentucky counties have deaths in the double digits.Here’s how you can help the victims of the tornadoesOfficials are expecting the death toll to rise in the coming days. Across the state, about 26,000 homes and businesses were without electricity, according to poweroutage.us, including nearly all of those in Mayfield. Some officials said it could be weeks before all power is restored. Kentucky was the worst hit by far in the cluster of twisters across several states, remarkable because they came at a time of year when cold weather normally limits tornadoes. At least 74 people died in the state, Beshear said Monday, offering the first specific count of the dead.In Bowling Green, Kentucky, 11 people died on the same street, including two infants found among the bodies of five relatives near a residence, Warren County coroner Kevin Kirby said.Beshear warned that it could take days longer to pin down the full death toll, with door-to-door searches impossible in some places.”With this amount of damage and rubble, it may be a week or even more before we have a final count on the number of lost lives,” the governor said. FEMA crews are hitting the ground in several counties to begin creating a long-term strategy to rebuild decimated communities.Since the tornadoes touched down in Kentucky, the state has raised more than $2 million in relief funds.President Joe Biden signed a federal emergency disaster declaration for several Kentucky counties. The president plans to visit Kentucky on Wednesday, traveling to Fort Campbell for a storm briefing, and to Mayfield and Dawson Springs to survey storm damage following the devastating tornadoes and extreme weather.The National Weather Service is continuing to survey the damage, and likely will for days, classifying the tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita scale.So far, they believe EF-3s, which are categorized as strong, touched down in both Mayfield and Taylor County.Beshear has said they believe Mayfield’s will be upgraded, possibly as high as an EF-5, which would be considered a “violent” tornado.First responders and volunteers have funneled in from all across the state to help the affected communities.The storms left miles of destruction, wiping away more than 1,000 homes. Cars were tossed and trees were snapped in half. “That assessment is going to take some time. I don’t think we’ve seen damage at this scale ever…Some of these metal buildings, they’re gone. When this tornado hit, it didn’t take a roof off – which is what we’ve seen in the past – it exploded the whole house. People, animals, the rest…just gone,” Beshear said. National Guard members have been going house to house, checking on people and helping to remove debris.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Residents of a Kentucky town devastated by a tornado could be without heat, water and electricity in chilly temperatures for a long time, the mayor warned Monday, as officials struggled to restore services after a swarm of twisters leveled neighborhoods and killed dozens of people in five states.
On Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear said the death toll is up to 74 in the state, and there are more than 109 people who still have not been found.
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Beshear said the age range in deaths is from 5 months to 86 years old, and six of them are under 18.
In Mayfield, one of the hardest-hit spots, at least eight people died when a candle factory was leveled. Emergency officials now believe everyone who was in the factory that was hit by a powerful tornado has been accounted for.
The significant update comes just hours after officials said earlier Monday that they were still sifting through the rubble of the building in Mayfield.
At least 14 people are dead in four other states: Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri.
Multiple Kentucky counties have deaths in the double digits.
Here’s how you can help the victims of the tornadoes
Officials are expecting the death toll to rise in the coming days.
Across the state, about 26,000 homes and businesses were without electricity, according to poweroutage.us, including nearly all of those in Mayfield. Some officials said it could be weeks before all power is restored.
Kentucky was the worst hit by far in the cluster of twisters across several states, remarkable because they came at a time of year when cold weather normally limits tornadoes. At least 74 people died in the state, Beshear said Monday, offering the first specific count of the dead.
In Bowling Green, Kentucky, 11 people died on the same street, including two infants found among the bodies of five relatives near a residence, Warren County coroner Kevin Kirby said.
Beshear warned that it could take days longer to pin down the full death toll, with door-to-door searches impossible in some places.
“With this amount of damage and rubble, it may be a week or even more before we have a final count on the number of lost lives,” the governor said.
FEMA crews are hitting the ground in several counties to begin creating a long-term strategy to rebuild decimated communities.
Since the tornadoes touched down in Kentucky, the state has raised more than $2 million in relief funds.
President Joe Biden signed a federal emergency disaster declaration for several Kentucky counties. The president plans to visit Kentucky on Wednesday, traveling to Fort Campbell for a storm briefing, and to Mayfield and Dawson Springs to survey storm damage following the devastating tornadoes and extreme weather.
The National Weather Service is continuing to survey the damage, and likely will for days, classifying the tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita scale.
So far, they believe EF-3s, which are categorized as strong, touched down in both Mayfield and Taylor County.
Beshear has said they believe Mayfield’s will be upgraded, possibly as high as an EF-5, which would be considered a “violent” tornado.
First responders and volunteers have funneled in from all across the state to help the affected communities.
The storms left miles of destruction, wiping away more than 1,000 homes. Cars were tossed and trees were snapped in half.
“That assessment is going to take some time. I don’t think we’ve seen damage at this scale ever…Some of these metal buildings, they’re gone. When this tornado hit, it didn’t take a roof off – which is what we’ve seen in the past – it exploded the whole house. People, animals, the rest…just gone,” Beshear said.
National Guard members have been going house to house, checking on people and helping to remove debris.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
