M.ith bulldozers and chainsaws, American Disaster Assistance (FEMA) continued its search for survivors and fatalities in tornado areas in the southeast and midwest on Monday. In the west of the state of Kentucky, which was hit particularly hard by the series of air turbulences on Saturday night, the forces supported by the National Guard have so far recovered around 80 dead. “If it stayed at that number, that would be the ideal case. But we’re still finding bodies, ”said Governor Andy Beshear.
Fears that dozens of workers might have been killed in a candle factory in Mayfield were not confirmed. As of Monday, more than 100 of the 110 or so employees had been reported as survivors. “We must be very concerned about anyone we haven’t found yet,” said Governor Beshear. In Dawson Springs, about 120 kilometers away, about 100 people were registered as missing by Sunday. According to initial estimates, the tornadoes destroyed around three out of four houses in the small town. The Red Cross set up about ten emergency shelters in Kentucky to accommodate people from the disaster area.
More than 50 tornadoes
At speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour, the tornadoes on Saturday night also passed through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. In Arkansas, a senior citizen was killed when a tornado took off the roof of the facility. Six people were killed in a warehouse owned by online retailer Amazon in Illinois. Like most residents of the disaster area, they had tried to get to safety in basements, bathrooms or hallways after receiving the warnings. A few hours later a train was lifted off the tracks near Earlington, Kentucky. The American Weather Service registered the strengths EF-3, EF-4 and EF-5, the highest levels of the Enhanced Fujita scale, for the more than 50 tornadoes. According to initial estimates, the Twister that struck Mayfield is said to have hurled debris up to 10,000 meters high.
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