Kentucky tornadoes on Friday caused at least 50 deaths.
Andy Beshear of Kentucky, the Governor, said the toll will ‘exceed fifty’ and could even reach 100 after suffering’some the worst tornado damage’ it has suffered in quite some time.
Beshear said that it had been one the hardest nights in Kentucky’s recent history. “It’s a terrible tragedy that Kentucky has more than 50 deaths. It could be 70 to 100.
He added the town of Mayfield had been devastated and people caught in the wreckage of a candle factory begged to be freed from the rubble.
Arkansas nursing home residents died when the building was “shredded”. Another victim in Missouri was also killed. Workers from Illinois were caught inside the partially collapsed Amazon Distribution Centre.

After a tornado destroyed the center, Mayfield in Kentucky was left with devastation. The tower of the Victorian courthouse was torn down.

The skies over Mayfield, Kentucky were darkened by the fall of large trees.

Kentucky town Mayfield was left devastated. The survivors of the destruction of the candle factory were desperate to escape the rubble.

Andy Beshear of Kentucky, the Governor, said the death toll will be “exceeding fifty” but that it could climb as high as 100 after the state experienced some of the most devastating tornado damage it has seen in its history.

In Missouri, one person was killed when buildings collided in the vicinity of Defiance.
In Arkansas, one person was killed in a nursing home in Monette, according to KARK.
Crews reporting on the scene that Monette’s nursing home was partially collapsing had five other people injured. As many as twenty people were left trapped according to Craighead county Judge Marvin Day.
Day stated that although initial reports indicated two bodies, within just two hours the structure was cleared. All those initially thought to be inside were now safe and secure.
Day stated that the building looked like it was almost completely destroyed.

Emergency crews arrive at Edwardsville to find the massive tornado visible as a shadow in the night sky.
“It occurs quickly, but it appears there was some time when tornado sirens went off.”
He stated that some of the residents found in his basement were “prepared for it”
Melissa Moon (a reporter for WREG3) tweeted a photo showing the Monette Manor nursing facility in severe damage, along with what appeared like a mangled car bed.
On Friday night, it wasn’t known the speed of tornadoes and how many they were. CNN reports that 19 tornadoes struck the state.
Reports suggested that 219 mile record could be broken for the longest tornado. It had also crossed 4 states and broke another record.
Observers suggested that tornadoes could have been as high as four to five feet on the Enhanced Fujita scale (EF).
EF4 tornadoes can reach speeds between 136mph and 165mph, while EF5 tornadoes are capable of reaching winds of up to 200 m/s.
@WxAtlantic tweets: “This tornado is so powerful that it literally broke Radarscope Velocity,”
The couplet appears to have just collapsed on its own due to the high delta velocity.
Southern Illinois Fire Incidents located nearly 300 miles from Monette reported that an “incident of mass casualty” occurred at Edwardsville’s Amazon Warehouse. More than 20 firefighters responded to the scene.
‘About a third of the warehouse is torn down and damaged from either straight by line winds or tornado,’ tweeted Jenna Rae, with Illinois’s KMOV station.
A woman claimed she was talking to her family member in the warehouse when the storm struck.
Aisha White stated to KMOV that he was talking on the phone while the event was taking place.
The tornado had struck the back of our building and trucks were approaching. He was told to duck by me.
“We saw the building rise, and stuff hit the cars. I said that I was going to go.”
J.B. Pritzker, governor of Illinois, tweeted: ‘My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I’ve reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources.’
Richard Rocha is an Amazon spokesperson. He stated: “The safety of our partners and employees is our number one priority right now.
“We are currently evaluating the situation, and we will share any additional information as soon as it becomes available.”
Kentucky’s Mayfield was also hard hit. It is home to approximately 10,000 people.
The roofs of buildings were removed; trees large and tall were felled; storefronts glass was broken; debris and rubble were scattered.
This 1888-built courthouse was completely destroyed. The tower was removed and the roof torn off.
A wall in a candle factory fell, trapping the people trapped and making them desperate for assistance.
Kyanna Lou broadcasting from Mayfield via Facebook Live, claiming that a Hurricane hit the area. A woman was cloistered behind Kyanna Lou and making muffled moans and shouts.
‘Please, y’all. Help us. We are at Mayfield’s candle factory.
“Please send some assistance. I am encircled by the wall. Please pray for us. Please pray for us.
Her statement continued: “We were all in the safe refuge place. The whole building fell. Now we are trapped.

In Arkansas, Monette saw two deaths from a collapsed nursing home. Two of the victims were taken to hospital by emergency crews.

Amazon’s Edwardsville warehouse, Illinois was photographed on Friday evening with its roof torn off following a tornado that ravaged the region.

The emergency crews tried to extricate those who were trapped in Amazon’s warehouse by using lightning bolts.


Mayfield KY storefronts were opened and the contents dumped onto the sidewalk
Callie Lemle was the wife of Jason Lemle (President of Graves County Economic Development), and told WPSD Friday that Jason Lemle had been at Mayfield Consumer Products’ candle factory.
According to her, people were excavating through rubble to rescue people and listening to their cries.
Her husband said that they were in dire need of more volunteers. Anyone with headlamps, gloves or equipment to dig is welcome.
Mayfield suffered the unfortunate distinction of being struck by the worst storms in recorded history, with debris reaching 30,000 feet up the sky, according to storm trackers.
Brett Adair from Live Storms Media stated that Mayfield saw ‘absolute destruction’.
Craig Ceecee was a Mississippi State meteorologist and researcher. He described the Mayfield tornado as one of the most intense recorded storms.
It was described as an “extremely violent tornado”.
‘Communities being hit hard. It will be difficult to know the extent of it until tomorrow morning. It is important to remember and pray for all those affected by the tragedy,’ he said in a tweet.
And across the region, tornadoes on Friday night were barreling through parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky – with one becoming what a storm chaser said was the first quad-state tornado in U.S. history.
A tornado watch was in effect until 2am CST.



Photos posted to social media by Arkansas show tornadoes striking down Friday night


The footage was captured on social media across the region and showed large swirling towers storm clouds moving across the plains.
The tornado was photographed by storm chasers near Caruthersville, Missouri, on the I-55.
Multiple semis were seen being thrown on their side and twisted along the roadway.
Chris Jackson, who is a professional storm chaser said that he has witnessed tractor trailers being lifted from the ground in Steele Missouri.
He tweeted, “A second tractor trailer has been picked up and thrown onto I-55 at exit 17”.
“Just spoke with the driver. Minor cuts, but it is okay.
Jackson claimed that there were many emergency workers in the vicinity, flashing their lights as they tried to save people.
He claimed that the power was out along I-69 in Kentucky between Troy, Kentucky and Mayfield.



Mayfield, a town founded in the 19th Century saw its main street destroyed by storms.
A number of Victorian buildings on the site were badly damaged including the Courthouse (built in 1888) – fourth such structure.
In 1990, the courthouse was renovated.
According to Graves County’s economic development board, 35% of Mayfield residents are considered living in poverty.
On Friday, Kentucky’s governor declared a state emergency.
Andy Beshear mobilized the Kentucky Guard as well as the Kentucky State Police in response to the devastation in western Kentucky.
No fatalities have been identified so far. However, WLWT reports that officers indicated that they expect a loss of life.
Kentucky State Police is being assisted by multiple agencies.
According to the governor, he would share an update with Kentucky Division of Emergency Management officials Saturday morning at 5 a.m.
Beshear tweeted, “We are praying to our Western Kentucky family,”