Over 80 people have been confirmed deadin Kentucky after the “deadliest tornado event” in the Commonwealth’s history, according to Governor Andy Beshear.
Beshear, 44, said thedeath toll is expectedto “exceed” 100 people during an appearance on CNN’sState of the Union, noting that the confirmation process has been “slow.”
“This is the deadliest tornado event we have ever had,” Beshear told host Jake Tapper on Sunday. “I think it’s going to be the longest and deadliest tornado event in U.S. history.”
Beshear confirmed that one of the tornadoes was on the ground for at least 227 miles, 200 of which were in Kentucky.
“I’ve got towns that are just gone,” Beshear explained. He says half of his father’s hometown “isn’t standing.”
Scott Olson/Getty
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He added, “[Do] you think you can go door to door to check on people and see if they’re okay? There are no doors! The question is, is there somebody in the rubble of thousands upon thousands of structures. I mean, it is devastating.”
In Dawson Springs, where Beshear’s family hails from, a recent list of individuals unaccounted for was eight pages long, per the governor. The town is home to just 2,700 people.
Brett Carlsen/Getty
On Saturday, the governordeclared a state of emergencyand activated 181 guardsmen from the National Guard in response to Friday’s devastation. He later tweeted an image of a letter he sent to PresidentJoe Bidenrequesting “an immediate federal emergency declaration” for what he called “one of the toughest nights in Kentucky’s history.”
“We do have a lot of help,” Beshear told Tapper on Sunday. “We have an amazing state of good people that have come in from other cities and towns where they weren’t hit. And so, we have a lot of assistance that come in from other states, certainly federal partners like ATF, federal coast guard, and others are also helping.”
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Damage from the tornadoes in Kentucky.Brett Carlsen/Getty
“I’m not sure that we’re going to see another rescue. I pray for it. It would be an incredibly welcome miracle. But I think it’s been since 3:30 yesterday morning that we found a live person,” he shared.
“It’ll be a miracle if we can pull anybody else out of that,” Beshear said, noting there is 15 feet of “steel and cars” sitting where the roof once was.
source: people.com
