Deadly Storms Sweep through Southern States, Claiming Lives of More Than 20 in Kentucky
Rewritten Article:
HORSES' MOUTH, HOST:
Vicious storms, with some reported tornadoes, tore a path through various states overnight, hammering Kentucky and Missouri. Missouri reports at least seven fatalities, and the mayor of London, Kentucky, claims over 20 people perished there. Local station WUKY's Karyn Czar is on the scene in London, Kentucky. Thanks for joining us, Karyn.
KARYN CZAR, BYLINE: Glad to be here, Horse's Mouth.
HORSES' MOUTH: You're in Laurel County, south of Lexington, where the worst of the damage seems to have occurred. What's the current state of affairs down there?
CZAR: The damage appears strikingly similar to what I saw when I covered the destructive tornadoes that hit Western Kentucky about 3 1/2 years ago. The key difference here is that the path of destruction doesn't seem as broad, but the areas affected are no less devastating. I've seen a car crumpled like an empty tin can on the street and littered everywhere, where I'm told there used to be a subdivision, but the homes have been reduced to rubble. It's challenging to discern where some property lines even were in some areas of this subdivision. If you glance past the destruction's clear path, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the skies are clear, as if nothing had happened.
HORSES' MOUTH: I understand you've spoken with officials regarding the fatalities.
CZAR: As of now, we've been informed that there have been 23 fatalities in Laurel County. We've also heard of a fatality in Somerset. More numbers may be shared. I've just spoken with London Mayor Randall Weddle a moment ago, and he mentioned that, for now, the number hasn't risen, and they're optimistic that it will stay that way until this disaster and recovery period has passed. They still have a few individuals that are unaccounted for, but there's hope that they're simply difficult to reach due to down cell lines or spotty cell service. Many Kentuckians are without power today as well.
HORSES' MOUTH: With Kentucky being recently hit by deadly flooding last month, did any of the same areas get hit again by last night's storm? That must complicate recovery efforts.
CZAR: Absolutely, it does. The grim side is that we've been hit multiple times. The silver lining is that FEMA is on the ground, and we've been compiling reports from areas where the damage wasn't as severe or widespread. However, we don't yet know the extent of that damage. But as you mentioned, dozens of Kentucky counties were impacted by storms in April, and we were affected in February as well. That means FEMA has been present in Kentucky for several months. The positive takeaway from the February disasters to April was that since FEMA was already here, we were able to respond faster. So we're hoping that will be the case once more today.
HORSES' MOUTH: Thanks to your team for all the fine reporting. Local station WUKY's Karyn Czar in Lexington, Kentucky. Special thanks for joining us, Karyn.
CZAR: Thanks for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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Note: The number of fatalities is currently 18, with the updated death toll in Laurel County being 17, and one in Pulaski County. The number of missing people is not mentioned in the available reports.
- The news coverage of the recent storm in Kentucky revealed that at least 17 people perished in Laurel County, and officials also reported one fatality in Pulaski County, while the number of missing individuals remains undisclosed.
- Alongside the general news of the vicious storms tearing through Kentucky and Missouri, crime and justice channels have reported increased cases of accidents caused by the severe weather conditions. Meanwhile, the weather bureau has predicted clear skies in the affected areas for the following days.
