Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency early Saturday morning after at least 50 people were killed from tornados that laid a path of destruction throughout the Midwest late Friday night.
via: People
On Saturday, Beshear, 44, announced in a press conference that he declared a state of emergency and activated 181 guardsmen from the National Guard. “It’s devastating,” he said.
“Multiple tornadoes have touched down and we have damage in, I believe, over a dozen Kentucky counties,” Beshear then noted, before detailing that four tornadoes — including one that remained on the ground for more than 200 miles after hitting land — had traveled through the state.
“We have deaths in multiple, possibly many, counties,” Beshear continued. “We believe our death toll from this event will exceed 50 Kentuckians and probably end up closer to 70 to 100 lost lives.”
“We will make it through this,” he added. “We will rebuild — We are strong, resilient people.”
In a social media statement, Beshear tweeted a letter to President Joe Biden and asked for “an immediate federal emergency declaration” for what he described as “one of the toughest nights in Kentucky’s history.”
This has been one of the toughest nights in Kentucky’s history, with multiple counties impacted and a significant loss of life. I have declared a state of emergency and submitted a request to @POTUS for an immediate federal emergency declaration. https://t.co/KmMOl95t1N
1/2 pic.twitter.com/Xj5DgTZp1Z— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) December 11, 2021
Biden issued his own Twitter statement following the destruction and loss of life on Saturday.
“This morning, I was briefed on the devastating tornadoes across the central U.S. To lose a loved one in a storm like this is an unimaginable tragedy,” he shared. “We’re working with Governors to ensure they have what they need as the search for survivors and damage assessments continue.”
This morning, I was briefed on the devastating tornadoes across the central U.S. To lose a loved one in a storm like this is an unimaginable tragedy. We’re working with Governors to ensure they have what they need as the search for survivors and damage assessments continue.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 11, 2021
As of Saturday morning, over 67,000 customers are currently experiencing outages in Kentucky, according to PowerOutage.US.
Tornadoes were also reported in parts of Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi as well, CNN reported.
The tornadoes reportedly ripped through an occupied candle factory in Kentucky, an Amazon warehouse in Illinois, and a nursing home in Arkansas.
Elsewhere in Kentucky, a train was derailed near Earlington, as Matt Sanderson, a sheriff for Hopkins County, explained to KYWX.
A report from a Hopkins County sheriff of a train derailment and 2 kids that were missing. The children were found later in a bathtub that was not where the house was originally standing #kywx pic.twitter.com/xVLibLGImg
— gary (@gporter812) December 11, 2021
In a statement given to The New York Times, Cindy Schild — a spokeswoman for the freight railroad company CSX — said: “There are no reported injuries to the crew. CSX personnel are on route to the scene and will coordinate with local emergency responders to assess the situation.”
“This tornado event may surpass the 1974 super outbreak as one of the most deadly in Kentucky’s history,” Kentucky Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett said.
LARGE TORNADO @NWSMemphis pic.twitter.com/Jes7OoAldp
— Brandon Copic (@BrandonCopicWx) December 11, 2021
The most intense damage I have found in #Mayfield. The entire path in the town is less than 2% of the total path length. Homes with only slabs remaining. #Tornado #wxtwitter pic.twitter.com/nXxoxNBVhY
— WxChasing- Brandon Clement (@bclemms) December 11, 2021
