While rescue teams continued searching through rubble in search of survivors following a devastating storm that decimated Kentucky on Friday night, 94 people died. Now those lucky enough to have survived the disaster are sharing their stories.
Many were able escape the rubble of western Kentucky which was the worst affected area by the devastating storm. It also suffered the most from the destruction and death that swept across six other states. Its epicenter was the town of Mayfield, a town of about 10,000 people in the far western part of Kentucky, where the Bluegrass State borders Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee.
Many tried to take shelter in the moments before the storm hit, including a man – who identified himself only as Dakota – and Valerie Yanis who found themselves trapped under a water fountain at a candle factory in Mayfield, for about two hours after the tornado rampaged through.
Both Yanis and Dakota admitted that they had feared not making it. Dakota sent Brandy a text message saying that he loved her and would tell his mom. Brandy said that Dakota had tried to text Brandy, but it was too late. She also noted how hours passed before Brandy could confirm if he was still alive.
Dakota stated that they eventually found a fire-hydrant and used it to dig through the rubble. Dakota said that he joined the rescue team. “I discovered people with broken legs and some nonresponsive.
Yanis claimed that she suffered injuries to her head, shoulder, and leg during the escape but was released from hospital. USA Today spoke to Yanis, saying that the escape felt almost like a nightmare.
Dakota left, a man who identified himself as Dakota said that he had found himself under the water fountain of the Mayfield candle shop. The store was also destroyed by the tornado. His girlfriend Brandy was left to text him that he loves her because he didn’t think he would make it through the tornado.
More than 100 people were working at the factory when the storm hit, but only 40 of them were rescued and alive as of Sunday, including Chesa Logue, who told USA Today she had restarted working at the candle factory two weeks before the storm hit.
According to Sherry, the managers set people up under shelter and in a toilet. This was where they stayed 15 minutes. Then it fell down.
She said, “All that you could hear were the screams from the people.”
She said that her head was covered with a 5-gallon container of chemical chemicals. The woman sitting on the top of it’managed herself to be free and get out of between the walls.
“And then I just lifted my head from between the buckets and the wall, and it was gone.”
USA Today asked her how she survived the chaos, but she didn’t know.
Lora Capps also celebrated her tenth year at work at the candle factory Friday.
ABC News reported that she had taken shelter with a janitor in her bathroom, and fell into a pit in the ground under all the debris. She recalled her final moments with the Janitor, saying that he kept telling her “I can’t breath” and she replied “I’m trying.”
“I wanted his family to know that I did my best. I told him to “Just go with God. I’ll likely be following you.”
Capps didn’t die, she was instead found by three men using a flashlight. They helped her to safety then reunited with her son.
Capps declared, “This is going to traumatize you for the rest my life.”
A Friday tornado is thought to have been on the ground for 227 mile, which would be a record. Kentucky suffered the greatest damage, with the storm being the deadliest tornado attack in Kentucky history.
Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory was the scene of a rescue operation Sunday morning. The rescue crews crawled over the remains of the deceased to get to survivors. Rescuers only managed 40 workers alive.
Rescue crews are at work at Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory, where 110 people were in the workplace when the tornado struck. Only 40 people were saved alive.
Factory owner Mayfield Consumer Products was a major employer in the town of 10,000. The family-owned, 1998 founded business had been recently hiring — rare in America where small producers are often outsourced to larger companies.
Troy Propes stated in a company message that “Our Mayfield, Kentucky facility was devastated by a tornado December 10, 2021” and that tragically, employees were injured and killed.
“Our employees, many of whom have been working with us for many decades, are treasured.”
To meet the high Christmas demand, the factory employed local inmates and operated in shifts.
One group of prisoners helped some victims to get out of the debris left by the storm.
Sarah Burgess, Kentucky State Trooper said that rescue teams used heavy equipment on Sunday to clear rubble from the candle factory. Coroners were called to the scene and bodies were recovered, but she didn´t know how many.
Rescue efforts were complicated because Mayfield´s main fire station and emergency services hub were also hit by the tornado.
Jackie and Doug Koon’s two-month-old daughter, Oaklynn, may have suffered from a stroke in the storm
The four year-old son of the couple had to also have a CT at a local hospital in order to make sure that his brain bleed did not become worse.
Jackie Koon and Doug Koon were among others to speak out about the emotional trauma they experienced in their aftermath.
Doug said that the family went to Jackie’s mom’s home, where Jackie was staying before the storm struck. The family, he said, huddled together in a bathroom with their sons and baby girl. Their two-month old daughter was strapped in to her car seat.
Jackie shared the frightening news via Facebook.
Her mother was finally struck by the tornado in Dawson Springs. She said that she and her family went flying, landing on the opposite side of the neighbor’s home.
Doug said that he saw his 4-year-old son screaming for daddy as the storm passed. Doug claimed that the boy was suffering from a head injury and was still bleeding.
According to him, he attempted to stop the blood loss as he searched the rubble looking for family members. This was done by shouting and moaning, each family member being returned one at time.
He said, “It was the most traumatizing thing that I have ever experienced.” “I felt helpless to protect my children against it. He claimed he attempted to stop the bleeding, get everyone to safety and to prevent his mother-in law’s home from being completely destroyed. Then he rushed his family into the hospital.
According to him, his son of four years had to be scanned with CT to make sure the brain injury he suffered did not worsen. His two-month old daughter Oaklynn was also hospitalized overnight.
Jackie shared on Facebook that her daughter had suffered a stroke after she was injured in her neck by doctors at her local hospital.
The baby was incubated, and then transferred to another hospital.
Jackie said, “Hold on to your family members,” “I didn’t imagine having to go,” Jackie said. [through]You can do something similar in your life.
Jackie Koon updated the family about their survival following a tornado which destroyed her mother’s home in Dawson Springs.
Doug Koon talked to MSNBC to discuss the difficulty of finding his kids in the rubble, after their children were swept away by the storm.
The deadly tornado left many people without hope. Gov. Andy Beshar stated that the deadly tornado was the worst in Kentucky history.
Kentucky District Judge Brian Crick (married father of three) was killed in the storm.
Kentucky is the only state where there has been a confirmed tornado death. It was 80.
This breaks the record set by the National Weather Service in 1890 for the worst tornado that struck Kentucky. It was established when a twister caused the deaths of 76 people near Louisville.
‘[The death toll]More than 100 people will be affected. CNN has just witnessed the most severe tornadoes ever recorded. Beshear said that the Dawson Springs list of missing people is 8 pages in length, with one-spaced.
‘I’ve got towns that are gone – that are just, I mean, gone,’ he said. You go door to door looking for people, and you find out if they are okay. There are no doors. It begs the question, “Is there anyone in this rubble?” I mean, it’s devastating.’
A single twister created a track unlike any other. The stormfront tore apart a Kentucky candle factory, destroyed a Arkansas nursing home, and toppled an Amazon distribution centre in Illinois.
Beshear stated that one tornado was in the ground for 227 mile, 200 miles of which were in Kentucky. This would surpass the previous global tornado-track record, 219 miles.
Six people were killed in Illinois when an Amazon facility was attacked; there are four others in Tennessee, two in Arkansas and one in Missouri.
Kentucky District Judge Brian Crick is one of those who died. A 43-year-old married father of three, Crick served McLean, Muhlenberg and McLean counties. The commonwealth’s Supreme Court chief judge confirmed that Crick was also among those affected by the storm.
After participating in an outdoor Sunday worship service, Darlene Easterwood (left) and Tim Evans (right), local residents Darlene and Tim Evans were reunited after they took part in the response to a tornado that struck Mayfield in Kentucky.
After a tornado struck Mayfield, Kentucky, workers removed a sign from the site.
First Presbyterian Church, which was located in Mayfield’s center, was mostly destroyed by the tornadoes that claimed many Kentuckians.
After severe storms hit Kentucky, people embrace as the tornado damage in Mayfield is visible. More than 80 people were killed in Saturday’s extreme storms.
A freight train was stalled in Earlington Kentucky by strong winds. The heavy vehicles were tossed around like children’s toys.
Dena Ausdorn standing at the remains her home, after it was torn down by the tornado that decimated Dawson Springs in Kentucky. Ausdorn lived in the home for 28 years. She lost two of her pets and one was paralysed by the tornado.
Mayfield survivors salvaged whatever possible from the wreckage as the sun rose early Sunday morning
You can see the Mayfield courthouse both before and after a powerful storm. The clock tower was ripped out of the second floor.
Kentuckyans, including many who were left without electricity, water, or roofs, tried to salvage as much as possible in devastated towns on Sunday.
In a Telegram, Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, offered his’sincere condolences” to Joe Biden in spite of rising tensions regarding the Russian military buildup near the Ukrainian border.
Due to the historical nature of this storm, some have attributed climate change to Biden and Deanne Criswell, FEMA Administrator.
Criswell said that climate change is causing a crisis in our time. Criswell made the statement to CNN this Sunday. “This is our new normal.”
This tornado was caused by warm weather, according to meteorologists. However, it is unclear if climate change played a role in the outbreak.
Timothy McDill (48), weeps as he recounts his story about surviving the Mayfield tornado, Kentucky.
McDill continues to stay in his house to guard it against looters. He stands in his living area while looking at the destruction and debris Sunday morning.
McDill tied himself (above), his wife, and his two grandkids, ages 14 and 12, and their Chihuahuas, and cat, to the drainpipe of their basement with a flagpole rope. He waited for the storm to pass.
The brick exterior of the house was torn off by a telephone pole that entered through the window.
After Friday’s extreme weather, tornado damage was seen in Mayfield Sunday. Overnight, more than 80 people were killed when dozens of tornadoes tore through five US States.
Bogdan Gaicki inspects tornado damage in Mayfield (Kentucky) Sunday after severe weather struck the area, leaving over 80 dead.
Many Kentuckyans were without electricity, water, or a roof to protect their heads on Sunday as they tried to save what little they could from towns nearly destroyed.
On Sunday, survivors of the tornadoes that decimated Mayfield in Kentucky, seen people walking among the destruction.
Late Friday rescue crews have struggled to find the factory’s wreckage, which is littered with fallen girders, twisted sheet metal, since late Friday.
The dogs have been used to remove corpses and move with ease through the debris using heavy machinery. Dogs with special training sniff out the wreckage to locate any dead or living persons still buried.
Western Kentucky University had previously stated that a student was killed. However, they changed their statement to say that the deceased had been a relative of one of their seniors.
Graduation ceremonies at the school, which were scheduled for Saturday, have been cancelled. There are still power cuts throughout the area, so electricity is not available to students.
This aerial photograph shows a burned candle factory and workers looking for survivors in Mayfield (Kentucky).
A general view of damage and debris in Mayfield, Kentucky after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through
A general view of a hallway inside a nursing home in Mayfield, Kentucky is seen Sunday after a tornado strike
At dawn, debris and homes that have been destroyed can be seen in Dawson Springs in Kentucky.
After Sunday’s tornado, the remains of Dawson Springs Primitive Christian Church were destroyed. On Friday, an enormous tornado ripped through the middle of the United States, leaving a trail that may rival any record.
Following the most destructive tornado in Kentucky history, homes destroyed in Mayfield were seen in Kentucky.
Fire Chief James Whiteford stated that at least six victims were killed when the Amazon warehouse collapsed in Edwardsville, Illinois. Another injured worker was airlifted from the scene to an emergency room.
Larry Virden (46), was one of the many victims. He died after the roof fell at the huge facility. He had been working at Amazon for five months, and his girlfriend of 13 years, Cherie Jones, told the New York Post the company ordered him to hold off on driving until after the storm passed.
She said that he sent her text messages. “He tells me every time he fills up his Amazon truck that he’s getting ready for the return trip.
“I was like, “OK, you love me,” and he is like, “Well Amazon won’t let us leave until the storm has passed.”
Jones stated that the text was sent at around 8.23pm. This is 16 minutes prior to the time the tornado struck.
Jones claimed that Jones lived with the couple in Collinsville about thirteen minutes from their warehouse.
She said that she heard about the tornado not reaching its destination until 8.39. He had only 20 minutes left to return home. I messaged him, and that was my last message.
“I told the man where we lived, but it was only lightning.” He didn’t reply to me.
She said that Amazon was not to blame for Virden’s death. He could have returned home.
She said that Virden fought for peace with his Creator when he was in Iraqi Army, and that Virden had been ready to die. But we didn’t want him to die now.’
Jones explained that Jones and Jones are having trouble understanding why Jones isn’t returning home with their children.
Chief Whiteford stated that investigators continued to search the rubble for more victims on Sunday. 45 of them survived. Officials were not sure Saturday night if any people were still missing, as workers were going through a shift change at the time the tornado hit.
Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha stated in writing that “This is a tragic tragedy for our Amazon Family and we focus on supporting our employees, partners,” Richard Rocha wrote.
One car flew 75 yards away from the tracks in Earlington, Kentucky, when powerful winds blew a freight train.
A train derailed in Earlington, following a terrible tornado storm.
Workers estimate that clearing the tracks will take time after powerful winds tore a freight railroad off its tracks
The powerful wind also slowed a freight train in Earlington Kentucky. One vehicle flew 75 feet from the tracks.
Photographs show two cars that separated from the train just near Highway 41. Much of the rest was tilted on the sides.
They say that it sounds almost like a train. Jesse Johnson was present at Earlington’s tornado center and spoke on WFIE TV.
A family photo from the past was taken more than 130 miles by the twister before being recovered in its original state and returned to its owner.
Katie Posten from New Albany, Indiana wrote that she found the 1940s photo stuck to her windshield while walking to her car.
“The tornado that struck Kentucky last night appears to have dissipated just slightly southwest of us. It’s also said to have carried debris into the air up to seven-miles or more. So there’s no doubt it came from an area in the path to destruction,” Posten stated in a public appeal to find the owner of the photograph.
Incredibly, thanks to the inscription on the back, Posten was able to reunite the photo with the Swatzell family in Dawson Springs, Kentucky.
In the midst of so many tragedies in Mayfield and elsewhere, it was rare to find hope. Whole blocks of buildings had been destroyed, entire neighborhoods were flattened, homes and buildings were torn apart. Bricks were scattered around streets, along with twisted metal, broken tree branches and damaged bricks.
The tornadoes also destroyed the clock tower of the city’s courthouse. This historic landmark was built in 1903.
Katie Posten from New Albany, Indiana found a photo of her family on her windshield. Through a Facebook public appeal, she was able locate the Kentucky family that it belonged, 130 miles distant, by finding them on Facebook
This aerial view shows homes and businesses destroyed by a tornado that struck Mayfield, Kentucky, on Saturday. Numerous tornadoes struck several Midwest states.
After a severe tornado outbreak, people return merchandise to a Mayfield shop.
Satellite images show shows homes and buildings in Mayfield before and after a devastating twister
General view showing the destruction and debris following a severe tornado outbreak that decimated several U.S. States, taken in Mayfield (Kentucky) on Sunday
The tornadoes that struck Mayfield on Friday left the remnants of the Emmanuel Baptist Church visible.
One resident from the The Cardinal Inn, Bowling Green (Ky.) looks at the damage done by a tornado.
After a tornado ripped through Edwardsville in Illinois, at least two people died and several others were left trapped by a partially collapsed roof of this Amazon warehouse.
Victor Gensini of Northern Illinois University is an extreme weather researcher and said that if early reports confirm, then the twister “will likely go down maybe as one the longest track violent tornadoes ever recorded in the United States,”
In March 1925, the longest known tornado was tracked over 220 miles across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. Gensini claimed that the twister could have traveled nearly 250 miles. He said that the storm was even more impressive because it occurred in December when tornadoes are less common due to colder weather.
Mayfield is a small city in Western Kentucky that has about 10,000 inhabitants. The ground was covered in debris from burned buildings and trees. Streets were littered with twisted metal sheets, powerlines down and vehicles that had been damaged. Buildings that still had windows or roofs were torn down.
Janine Denise Williams, 50 year-old mother of four and a member of her family, was one among the missing at candle factory. Family members kept watch on Saturday.
‘It´s Christmastime and she works at a place that´s making candles for gifts,’ her brother, Darryl Williams, said. To give up life in order to create a gift. We haven´t heard anything, and I´m not presuming anything. But I´m expecting for the worst.’
Johnson Williams called her husband over night to inform him that the weather was becoming severe. That’s the last she heard from anyone.
Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory, Mayfield. Rescue crews worked through the night.
Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory was razed to the ground by emergency workers on Saturday. Only 40 workers from the factory were saved alive.
A tornado victim was transported by emergency personnel to the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory.
Vernon Evans stated that he ran to firefighters to rescue residents from a Mayfield nursing home wall collapsed. One resident was found dead under a few inches water.
His response was, “All that I could do was to sit down and raise their head,” he stated. “This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen.”
On Saturday, President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Kentucky and promised to help the states affected.
Biden stated, “I swear you that whatever is required – whatever it is necessary – the federal government will find a means to provide it,”
The Commonwealth of Kentucky has established a tornado relief fund to directly assist those impacted by the storm system, donations can be made at: TeamWKYReliefFund.ky.gov