Advertisement

Kentucky tornadoes: What to know about damage, death toll, how to help and more

Days after multiple tornadoes tore through Kentucky, leaving leveled communities in their wakes, the commonwealth is still waiting to know the full impact of the storm.

But much information has already come to light, including preliminary reports on the tornadoes themselves, an early death toll and numerous ways to help.

Here's everything you need to know about the tornadoes and their aftermath:

Live update: Latest on recovery efforts, how to help, size, path of tornadoes

How many tornadoes hit Kentucky?

Officials said in an updated report Monday five tornadoes touched down in Kentucky late Friday and early Saturday.

ADVERTISEMENT

The largest leveled much of Mayfield in Graves County, also causing death and destruction in Dawson Springs and Bremen, among other communities.

Is Tornado alley shifting? Southern states see more twisters now than ever before

Tornadoes also touched down or left damage in the Bowling Green area, Taylor County, Ohio County, Breckinridge County, Monroe County, Spencer County and possibly Boyle County, the National Weather Service has said.

How big were the tornadoes in Kentucky?

The largest of the tornadoes to hit Kentucky, believed to have been on the ground for 128 , is so far being considered an EF4 tornado, the National Weather Service's Paducah office said in an update. The tornado that hit Bowling Green is also thought to be an EF3.

That's on a scale of 0 to 5.

Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday he thinks the tornado that hit Mayfield, believed to be the largest one, could eventually get categorized as an EF5, which has wind speeds over 200 mph.

Was the Mayfield tornado an EF5? Here's how the National Weather Service decides

What was the strength and size of the main Kentucky tornado: Here are early estimates

The other tornadoes are so far considered EF1 or EF2.

These reports are preliminary and could change, the weather service has said.

Crews will continue to survey damage across the state throughout the week.

How many power outages are there in Kentucky?

Only about 10 LG&E customers were without power in Jefferson County by about 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to the power company's outage map.

Statewide, Kentucky Emergency Management Director said the state had 28,531 total outages as of 10:15 a.m. Monday, with 8,000 power poles down and at least 97 power structures damaged during the storm.

Those figures are down from Friday night and Saturday, though Gov. Andy Beshear said earlier Sunday that outages persisted in Western Kentucky communities served by smaller energy companies and cooperatives.

State officials said Monday afternoon more than 26,000 customers were still without power in Western Kentucky, and many were also without water service.

How many tornado deaths were there in Kentucky?

As of Wednesday, 76 tornado-related deaths had been officially confirmed across the commonwealth, officials said.

Officials have cautioned the death count could grow as recovery efforts continue and more victims are identified.

Read more about which counties and cities were hit hardest here.

Which Kentucky counties have a federal disaster declaration?

As of Thursday afternoon, Graves, Caldwell, Fulton Hopkins, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Taylor and Warren counties were declared by the federal government for assistance.

More: Where did Kentucky tornadoes hit? See damage by county

Who are the Kentucky tornado victims?

Some of the names of the 76 confirmed victims have been released, with Kentucky officials also saying over 100 people remain unaccounted for.

Read more about the victims here.

Tornado victim names: Kentucky tornado death count has increased. Here are the names we know

What is the population of Mayfield, Kentucky?

The population of Mayfield, which is in Graves County, is about 9,800.

How far is Mayfield from Louisville?

The city, which was leveled by the tornado Friday night, Dec. 10, is 227 miles southwest of Louisville and 134 miles northwest of Nashville.

How many people were killed in the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory?

The town of Mayfield has been an epicenter of destruction and attention in the wake of the tornadoes.

One of the most devastated parts of the town was the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory, where about 110 people were working when the tornado hit the facility.

On Dec. 12, a factory spokesman said that of the 110 people in the factory when the tornado struck, eight are confirmed dead and eight remain unaccounted for.

‘It should have shut down’: Inside the final frantic hours of the Mayfield candle factory

The rest have been reached and are alive, said Bob Ferguson with Hawks Bill Group LLC. "We've had a very productive day" getting in touch with employees, adding most of the survivors are in shelters where they could charge their devices so they could answer calls from the company, he said.

State officials said at a Dec. 12 press conference they were looking into information provided by MCP, with Beshear saying it "may be a better situation and the miracle we were hoping for." But the governor did not provide details on what the information is.

"The company right now says it has different information but until we can verify it, we're still where we were (Saturday)."

Beshear spokeswoman Crystal Staley referred a Courier Journal reporter seeking clarification on the state's position back to the governor's press conference.

A spokeswoman for state emergency management referred questions back to the governor's office.

'We were trapped': Kentucky candle factory survivors recount escape from deadly tornado

On Monday, Dec. 13, Beshear said the state is "working to confirm" the factory information.

"We feared much, much worse, and again, I pray it is accurate," he said.

The governor said the candle factory's owner made "several contacts" with his office Sunday and is coordinating with recovery crews on the ground. Kentucky State Police is verifying the information from the factory, Beshear also said.

The Graves County Coroner confirmed the following week that eight people had died in the factory and released their names.

What happened in Bowling Green?

A tornado believed to be an EF-3 hit the city of Bowling Green in Warren County.

The damage was extensive, including near the campus of Western Kentucky University, which said a relative of a student was among the dead.

As of Sunday morning, 12 people in Warren County had lost their lives to the storm.

‘I found myself in the backyard’: Bowling Green reflects on devastating, deadly tornado

Were other areas of Kentucky impacted by tornadoes?

Officials are still working to determine where all of the tornado damage is across the commonwealth, but we know numerous communities have been impacted.

That includes towns such as Dawson Springs and Bremen and counties including Taylor and Ohio.

Did Kentucky's governor lose family in the tornadoes?

The damage in Dawson Springs was felt personally by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, whose father and other family are from the Hopkins County community.

Beshear also said his uncle had cousins who died in Muhlenberg County, which suffered extensive tornado damage and where 11 deaths have been confirmed.

Related: Beshear's uncle among those who lost relatives in Western Kentucky tornadoes

Did Louisville get hit by tornadoes?

No. Louisville avoided getting hit by the tornadoes Friday night and early Saturday.

The strong storm system that hit Kentucky was felt in Jefferson County, however, with power outages and downed trees causing some issues for local residents.

How can I help Kentucky tornado victims?

While officials are urging most people to stay away from affected areas so first responders are free to help as much as possible, there are ways to help the parts of Kentucky were hit hard.

Organizations including the American Red Cross and the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund have put together fundraisers, donation drives and more.

Check out all the ways to contribute here.

How to get help if you were impacted by the tornadoes

If you were impacted, there are already ways for you to get assistance.

Find information on how to get help with everything from housing to pet care here.

En Español: ¿Su casa fue dañada por los tornados de Kentucky? Aquí le indicamos como obtener ayuda.

Are schools open in Kentucky?

Students in multiple districts across Kentucky will be out of school due to the weekend's storms.

Both school districts in hard-hit Hopkins County — Hopkins County Schools and Dawson Springs Independent — announced closures Sunday.

Hopkins County Schools will be closed through the end of the district's scheduled winter break, Superintendent Amy Smith said in a letter to families shared to the district's social media. The district's winter break is scheduled to end Monday, Jan. 3, according to the district's website.

"Our Central Office will be open and we will be in touch if volunteers are needed after we receive information from our Judge Executive," Smith wrote.

Running list: Here are the schools that will be closed following the Kentucky tornado aftermath

Dawson Springs students will be out of the classroom until at least Jan. 4, Superintendent Leonard Whalen said on social media. School buildings are open to provide shelter, food, clothes and toiletries, he added.

Bowling Green Independent Schools will be closed Monday and Tuesday, the district confirmed to The Courier Journal.

Warren County schools announced previously classes are canceled for Monday and Tuesday.

And Christian County Public Schools' Pembroke Elementary will be closed through Friday, the district's superintendent said on social media, due to storm damage.

"CCPS will begin providing support, supplies, and meals to anyone affected by the severe weather in Christian County as soon as possible!" Chris Bentzel said in his post.

This story has been updated.

Courier Journal reporters Billy Kobin, Bailey Loosemore, Ben Tobin, Lucas Aulbach, Olivia Krauth and Hayes Gardner contributed to this report.

Mary Ramsey is a breaking news reporter for The Courier Journal. Reach her at mramsey@gannett.com, and follow her on Twitter @mcolleen1996. Support strong local journalism in our community by subscribing to The Courier Journal today.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Tornadoes in Kentucky: Category, sizes, how to help