State of Emergency: Deadly storms, tornado take the lives of 5 Kentuckians

FRANKFORT, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — Gov. Andy Beshear issued a State of Emergency on Sunday evening as deadly storms swept across the Bluegrass to ensure communities can get the resources they need and residents are protected from price gouging.

Beshear held a press conference at 11 a.m. on Monday from the Emergency Operations Center following Sunday’s bout of severe weather.

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“Communities across Kentucky experienced storms that produced strong winds, multiple tornadoes, hail in some places, the storm knocked out power for thousands of Kentuckians, temporarily shutdown numerous roads and interstates, and caused massive damage to homes and businesses,” Beshear said. “But like we always see after severe weather events, first responders and everyday Kentuckians rallied to help each other in those toughest moments. They checked on loved ones and started to clean out and rebuild.”

The number of Kentuckians who were killed in Sunday’s storms continues to grow, and according to Beshear, five Kentuckians have died and one is still fighting for their life.

“That means we know that there are at least four families this morning that have suffered the loss of a loved one less than 24 hours ago, that are hurting, and we ought to rally around them and do everything we can to carry them,” Beshear said.

This includes a 67-year-old woman in Mercer County , a 62-year-old woman in Hardin County, a 48-year-old woman in Hopkins County, a 34-year-old man in Jefferson County , and a 54-year-old man who died from a heart attack while cutting fallen trees in Caldwell County. At this time, Beshear said it’s believed that no Kentuckians are unaccounted for.

According to Beshear, western Kentucky had one confirmed tornado on the ground for a stretch of 40 miles, hitting Dawson Springs and barely missing a prison in Eddyville. On Monday, National Weather Service crews are working to survey storm damage across Kentucky to determine if any other tornadoes could be confirmed.

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At the peak of Sunday’s storm, it’s estimated that 215,144 Kentuckians were without power, this has dropped to 174,586 as crews continue to “work around the clock,” according to Beshear. In larger cities, residents could expect power to return today but in counties like Trigg, residents may go days without power due to “significant damage to the power infrastructure.”

Beshear said that several hospitals are running on generators, major roads are blocked or closed, and some counties are experiencing downed phone lines including several Kentucky State Police posts.

“It could have been much worse,” Beshear affirmed. “The people of Kentucky are very weather-aware with everything we’ve been through and the lion’s share of the credit, to getting through this with, with a tough loss of life. But one that could have been more is the people listening, listening to their meteorologists, all of our news teams that are out there, as well as what we’re able to put out and taking it very seriously.”

Officials encourage residents to continue to proceed with caution on Monday, make way for road crews, never drive through high water, and report storm damage to their area emergency management office.

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