A factory that collapses could result in more than 50 deaths
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared an emergency Saturday morning, asking President Biden to provide federal assistance following a severe storm that swept through the state overnight. This caused a “significant loss in life.”
Beshear wrote to Biden Dec. 11 that there could be more than 50 fatalities following the collapse of a Graves County factory due to a tornado. This trapped workers.
Beshear wrote, “I ask that you declare an emergency for the Commonwealth of Kentucky to respond to a severe storm system that has produced many tornadoes,”
According to the governor, the huge amounts of debris are making it difficult to search and rescue. The Kentucky National Guard was deployed to assist and support the impacted communities.
“Kentucky needs federal assistance to deal with his event. There are many power outages. It is evident that emergency generators are needed to power critical facilities at this point.
Beshear said during a press conference at 5 a.m. that one tornado tore through the state for more than 200 miles in a sustained manner – and at most four tornadoes struck the state over the course of the night.
He also stated that the death toll could be between 70 and 100 across five or more countries.
He advised Kentucky residents that they should be as safe as possible and warned them not to cross the road while emergency crews continue their response.
Senator Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also asked Biden to support Beshear’s request for federal aid.
“I pray for the victims of the tornado devastation in the Commonwealth and the communities that have been affected by it. We are grateful to the National Guard and first responders for their heroic efforts during this tragedy. McConnell released a statement Saturday, saying that he continues to receive reports from staff and local officials. “We will work with the entire Kentucky Federal delegation to support Governor Andy Beshear’s request for federal aid in order to assist these hard-hit areas with the funding, resources, and funding they need to rebuild.”
