Friday’s tornado that claimed at least 88 lives in five states, 74 in Kentucky, caused a trail of destruction that ran from Arkansas, where a nursing facility was destroyed, to Illinois where an Amazon distribution centre was severely damaged.
Governor of Kentucky is. Andy Beshear stated that the death toll could rise as authorities continue to deal with debris that has slowed recovery efforts. Nearly 450 National Guard soldiers have been mobilized in the state and 95 of them are looking for those who are presumed to be dead.
“With this level of destruction and rubble, it might be a week before we have a final total on the number lost lives,” said the governor.
According to Kentucky authorities, the scale of the destruction prevented them from being able to count the damages. Still, efforts were made to repair the power grid, provide shelter for those who lost their homes, and deliver supplies.
According to poweroutage.us in the state, nearly 26,000 homes and businesses had lost electricity. According to Michael Dossett, Kentucky Emergency Management Director, more than 10,000 homes and businesses were without water on Monday. Another 17,000 are currently under boil-water advisory.
According to the governor, a fund established by the state has collected $6 million in donations. Kentucky First Lady Britainy Beshear started a Christmas toy drive in support of children who were affected by the storm. She needs $25 gift cards and unwrapped toys.
Officials from the state and local governments said that it could take many years for some of these hardest-hit areas fully to recover.
This isn’t going to be a one-week or two-month operation, people. This will continue for many years. Dossett stated that this is a huge event.
Kentucky was hit by five twisters, with one of them covering an incredible 200-mile (320 km) route, authorities stated.
The deaths in Kentucky were not the only result of the tornadoes. Six people died in Illinois where the Amazon distribution centre in Edwardsville was damaged. Four others died in Tennessee. Two in Arkansas where the nursing home was also destroyed. Arkansas Governor Jay Nixon said that workers had shielded the residents from the storms with their bodies. Missouri lost two.
Monday’s announcement by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (FSHA) was that an investigation has been opened into the collapse at Amazon in Illinois.
Mayfield, which is home to 10,000 people, was the hardest hit. The city was covered in debris from the destruction of buildings and shredded trees. Streets were littered with twisted sheet metal, downed electric lines, and vehicles that had been damaged. The buildings that remained standing were destroyed by windows and their roofs were torn off.
A church that serves as a shelter in Wingo is located near Mayfield. It said it expects to host over 100 people Monday night.
Glynda Glover (82), said that she didn’t know how long she would be staying at the Wingo shelter. Her apartment was uninhabitable because the wind blew through the windows and covered it with asphalt and glass.
She said that she would stay there until they return to “normal” and that “normal” is something she doesn’t know anymore.
Another town was also devastated by the storms. Homes were reduced to rubble, trees fell, and littered the landscape for at least one mile. Jack Whitfield Jr., Hopkins County judge-executive estimated that more than 60%, which included hundreds of homes was, was in “beyond repair”.
He said, “A complete recovery is going to take many years.”
