Tornadoes have carved a swath of devastation across several states in the United States, and may have killed up to 100 people in Kentucky alone. “We believe the death toll will exceed 50 and likely be closer to 70 to 100,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on Saturday. “That was the most devastating tornado event in the history of our state.”
Beshear said on a visit to the disaster area that the destruction in Kentucky was even worse than initially feared. The tornadoes would have left a trail of devastation in the southeastern state over 200 miles (320 kilometers) away. “Everything in their path is gone. Houses, shops, government buildings – just gone. Parts of industrial plants, roofs are in trees. It’s hard to imagine that that’s even possible.”
Governor: Mayfield is Ground Zero
Mayfield is particularly hard hit by the tornadoes. Looking at the center of the disaster, the governor said, “Mayfield is Ground Zero.” There, a candle factory was razed to the ground, in which, according to Beshears, around 110 people are said to have stayed. The governor told CNN, “I’m standing in front of the former factory now, and it’s an extent of devastation none of us has ever seen before.”
Mayfield’s Mayor, Kathy O’Nan, confirmed that the candle factory had been working around the clock because of the Christmas season. The factory belongs to a local family and is an important employer. Regarding the Mayfield destruction, Mayoress told CNN: “My heart is broken.”
Other states were also hit by the devastating storm system on Saturday night. CNN reported more than 30 tornadoes in six states. Two deaths have been reported in the state of Arkansas. In Illinois, the roof of a distribution center operated by the online retailer Amazon partially collapsed, and there, too, there are said to have been deaths. It will be days before the full extent of the devastation is known.
Biden immediately agrees to support
The storm system is the latest in a series of natural disasters in the United States. The United States suffered devastating storms, severe flooding and widespread forest fires that year. US President Biden sees the accumulation and severity of the disasters as a consequence of climate change, which he has made combating one of his top priorities.
Biden promised the federal government to support the affected states. “Losing a loved one in such a storm is an unimaginable tragedy,” said the president. “We’re working with the governors to make sure they have everything they need.”
Lori Wooton, a retiree from Dawson Springs, Kentucky, told CNN that she sat out the storm in a shelter. She heard rain “and then it suddenly became very loud, like a train. And that didn’t seem to take long, but it was very loud. Maybe three or four seconds, then it was over. But when we came out and each other Looking at the damage, it was incredible what happened in those three to four seconds. “
The train derails and crashes into several houses
In the town of Earlington, Kentucky, the storm caused a train to derail and crash into several houses. Experts examined what material he had loaded and how many people were injured in the area, said Hopkins County Sheriff Matt Sanderson, according to media reports.
In Edwardsville, southern Illinois, rescue work continued after the partial collapse of a roof at the Amazon distribution center. How many people were in the building in the town near the city of St. Louis at the time was initially unclear. The rescue work continued.
Kentucky’s Governor Beshear asked US President Joe Biden for assistance. “Kentucky needs federal aid to respond to this event,” said a letter to Biden released by the governor on Saturday. Power outages are widespread. 17 of the 120 counties in the state were affected by the disaster. Beshear declared a state of emergency in Kentucky and activated the National Guard to assist affected communities.