Kentucky tornado news – live: latest track and map updates

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Deadly tornadoes ravage the US Midwest

The governor warned that the death toll from tornadoes that swept six states Friday night could exceed 100 in Kentucky alone.

Andy Bashir noted that the event was the most devastating hurricane event in the state’s history, with 64 confirmed dead and 100 still missing as of Monday morning.

Dozens of deaths have been confirmed across Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Illinois, where workers were trapped in an Amazon warehouse when it collapsed, killing six people.

A map from the National Weather Service shows one supersell, which may have been a single hurricane or a family of them, which is believed to have carved a 250-mile path across four states, potentially breaking the 1925 record.

Among the confirmed victims of the hurricane are 43-year-old Kentucky Judge Brian Crick, 84-year-old Missouri grandmother Ulis Burgman, 46-year-old Amazon worker Larry Verden in Illinois, and two three- and five-year-olds in Kentucky.

In a touching press conference on Monday, Governor Bashir said the victims in his state ranged in age from five months to 86 – and six were under 18.

Key PointsShow Latest update 1639421639 Biden to visit Kentucky on Wednesday

President Joe Biden confirmed that he will visit Kentucky to survey hurricane damage on Wednesday.

“With each passing day, the human impact of this devastation – only the depths of the losses – becomes more and more evident,” he told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.

He said his administration is working closely with Governor Andy Bashir’s office to coordinate relief efforts, including approving a major disaster declaration that will provide federal funding to affected areas.

“We will get this done. We will be there for as long as help is needed,” the president said. “And a host of state, federal, and volunteer organizations are doing everything from helping clear the rubble to providing the means to relocate, reopening schools, making sure homes are rebuilt, and so forth. So there’s a lot more, it needs to be done.”

The White House said Biden would receive a storm briefing at Fort Campbell before touring Mayfield and Dawson Springs.

Megan Sheets Dec 13, 2021 18:53

1639420225 The four-state hurricane could be the longest single-track hurricane in US history

The deadly tornado that wreaked havoc in four states on Friday could be the longest single hurricane in US history once its path is determined by the National Weather Service.

The previous record-holding tornado struck near Ellington, Missouri on March 18, 1925 and made a path that lasted about 218 miles, across three states and two major rivers during a lifespan of three and a half hours.

Initial reports suggest that Friday night’s hurricane may have broken that record. It began in northeastern Arkansas and reportedly stayed on the ground for about 223 miles before ending in Breckenridge County, Kentucky. That distance is an estimate shared by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear during a news conference Saturday.

Gustav Killander reports from The Independent:

Megan Sheets December 13, 2021 18:30

1639418425 A 2-month-old baby girl died of hurricane injuries

A 2-month-old girl is believed to be the youngest victim killed by tornadoes in Kentucky.

Parents Douglas and Jackie Cohn confirmed the death of their infant daughter Oaklin in a Facebook post on Monday, three days after their home was flattened.

“At least I know who’s going to watch you there for me. My daddy daddy wrote, ‘Oh my God, that doesn’t sound real.'”

It is unclear whether O’Klin’s death was included in the updated death toll of 64 announced by Governor Andy Beshear this morning. The governor said the youngest victim killed was five months old.

Gustav Killander reports from The Independent:

Megan Sheets December 13, 2021 18:00

Death toll is lower than feared at Kentucky Candle Factory

Workers on the night shift at Mayfield Consumer Products were in the middle of the holiday rush, blowing out the candles, when a hurricane shut down the factory and the word came out: “Ducks and lids.”

Offit Kirks lowered her safety glasses and took shelter, ditching the wax and perfume buckets to make room. She looked away from her boyfriend, Lannis Ward, and when she looked back, he was gone.

Governor Andy Beshear initially said Saturday that only 40 of the 110 people working at the plant at the time had been saved, and that it “would be a miracle if anyone else was found alive.” But the candle company said on Sunday that while eight were confirmed dead and eight missing, more than 90 others had been found.

Megan Sheets December 13, 2021 17:41

1639416025 Who are the victims of the hurricane?

Deaths have been confirmed in at least five of the six tornado-hit states over the weekend. The death toll is feared to be more than 100 in Kentucky alone, but injuries have also been reported in Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee, with deaths confirmed in all but one of the states.

While many of the victims remain unidentified, Gustav Killander of The Independent explains what we know so far:

Megan Sheets December 13, 2021 17:20

163941482578 His death was confirmed in five states as of Monday noon

As of midday Monday, the confirmed death toll from tornadoes that swept six states was 78.

Below is a breakdown of each country:

Megan Sheets December 13, 2021, 17:00

1639413911 McConnell thanks Biden for declaring disaster

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, thanked President Joe Biden for agreeing to declare the state a major disaster in the wake of Friday’s hurricanes.

McConnell expressed his appreciation in a tweet Monday after Governor Andy Beshear said Biden was planning to visit the state.

Megan Sheets December 13, 2021 16:45

1639413193RECAP: Kentucky Governor’s Emotional Update

Governor Bashir fought back tears when he gave an update on the search effort Monday morning.

With 64 confirmed deaths and 105 missing, the governor said of the death toll: “There will be many more, no doubt.”

The ages of the dead ranged from five months to 86, with six minor victims and 18 yet to be identified, Goff Bashir said. Deaths were reported in eight counties, while 18 were damaged by tornadoes.

The governor had previously said he believed the statewide death toll would rise to more than 100. On Monday, he predicted it could take weeks to prepare a full report on the devastation.

He told the viewers in tears, “I’m really sorry. You’re not supposed to lose people like this, and not knowing and not having the information should make it more difficult.”

Meghan reports to The Independent:

Megan Sheets December 13, 2021 16:33

1639412125 Has the Kentucky tornado outbreak been linked to climate change?

The calendar used to say December but the warm, humid air screamed spring. Add an eastward-bound storm front guided by a La Nina weather pattern to this mismatch and produce tornadoes that kill dozens in five US states.

Hurricanes in December are unusual, but unheard of. Forecasters say the ferocity and length of the course of Friday night’s hurricanes will likely put them in a category of their own. Experts said one hurricane — if only one was confirmed — likely broke a nearly 100-year record for how long a hurricane would stay on Earth on a path of destruction.

“One word: fantastic; it was really kind of a late-spring setup in mid-December,” said Victor Jencini, professor of meteorology at Northern Illinois University.

Meteorologists say warm weather was a critical component of the hurricane’s outbreak, but whether climate change was a factor isn’t entirely clear.

Megan Sheets December 13, 2021 16:15

Biden to visit Kentucky

Governor Bashir said President Joe Biden is expected to travel to Kentucky for a tour of the devastation from hurricanes.

He said no date has been set for the visit.

The governor also said the major tornado that hit his state could turn into an EF5 level. He admitted that in events of this severity, “what we can do to protect ourselves is limited.”

Megan Sheets December 13, 2021 15:43

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