At least 74 people were killed in Kentucky by a barrage of tornadoes that ripped through six states, officials said Monday, as those who were fortunate enough to escape unharmed opened their homes to victims whose homes were destroyed. Hundreds of the suddenly homeless sought refuge in shelters.
Aerial image taken on December 13, 2021, shows tornado damage
Youngest Victim
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the death toll was sure to grow because 109 people were still missing.
However, no more people were expected to die due to the wrecked candle factory, as a business spokeswoman subsequently stated that just eight people died in the end. Hundreds were thought to be buried beneath the debris at one time.
After succumbing to her injuries acquired during the tornado in Kentucky and five neighboring states, a two-month-old child has become one of the tornado's youngest casualties.
A baby crib is pictured in a badly damaged house after extreme weather hit the region, in Mayfield, Kentucky on December 13, 2021
The deceased varied in age from 2 months to 86 years old, with at least six children among them.
"For 10 minutes, you move from sadness to shock to resolve, and then you go back," Beshear remarked, crying up at times.
Authorities have struggled to narrow down the precise death toll among the roller coaster of emotions. Attempts to identify deaths have been confounded by piles of wreckage, mobile service outages, and many individuals hiding with friends and family.
According to business representative Bob Ferguson, the ultimate death toll from Mayfield's candle factory will be eight because the remaining 102 workers who were on duty when the tornado struck are alive and have been accounted for, a procedure that took three days due to the confusion caused by accident.
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Powerless
Officials reported that after the tornadoes struck unusually late in the year during frigid weather on Friday, 28,000 Kentucky homes and businesses were still without power, and 1,000 houses were damaged or destroyed.
Ferguson told Reuters, "It's a huge relief." "Now, more than ever, there is a pressing need to assist individuals who have lost loved ones."
Affecting Businesses in the Area
While the tornadoes wreaked havoc in Kentucky, including one that ripped through 227 miles (365 km) of land, six people died in an Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) warehouse in Illinois, four in Tennessee, and two in Missouri. At the same time, a nursing home in Arkansas was struck, resulting in one of the state's two deaths.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is examining the circumstances behind the collapse of the Amazon plant, and the business has stated that it would cooperate.
Seeking Shelters
Swath Of Tornadoes Tear Through Midwest
Neighbors and volunteers worked across Kentucky to shelter, feed, and provide any other aid to people whose houses had been damaged, destroyed or were without power.
About 90 people, ranging in age from toddlers to the elderly, are sleeping on green cots in a warehouse-like space with low ceilings and a giant standing cross at a community center linked with a Presbyterian church in the adjacent town of Wingo.
Since their home's lights and heat were knocked out, Stephen Jennittie, 52, lived with his wife, Christie Bonds, their Chihuahua pet, Mr. Jingles, and roughly 90 other Mayfield residents.
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