Gov. Beshear Provides Update on Storm Response

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Gov. Beshear Provides Update on Storm Response

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 14, 2021) – At noon Tuesday, Gov. Andy Beshear updated Kentuckians on his administration’s response to the Dec. 11 quad-state tornado outbreak. He was joined at the briefing by Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and Michael Dossett, director of the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management. To watch the press conference, click here. Key updates provided:

  • The official death toll did not rise overnight and remains at 74 confirmed fatalities.
  • Reported deaths: 21 in Graves County; 17 in Hopkins County; 15 in Warren County; 11 in Muhlenberg County; 4 in Caldwell County; 2 in Marshall County; and one each in Franklin, Fulton, Lyon, and Taylor counties.
  • Eight of the dead remain unidentified or next of kin have not yet been notified.
  • The age range of those killed now ranges from 2 months old to 98 years old.
  • Twelve of those killed were children.
  • There currently are 122 Kentuckians unaccounted for, as local, state and federal crews continue to rescue and recovery efforts.
  • A total number of Kentucky National Guardsmen supporting storm relief: 568.
  • 79 soldiers and airmen completed search and extraction and fatality search and retrieval at the factory site in Mayfield, with two chaplains serving for spiritual support.
  • Kentucky State Police continues to request that ALL Mayfield Consumer Products-Candle Factory employees go to His House Ministries Church at 1250 KY-303 in Mayfield. KSP is in the process of verifying information provided by executives from MCP Candle Factory to ensure that all potential victims are accounted for. Call 888-880-8620 if transportation is unavailable (MCP employee support line).
  • Utility companies continue working to safely restore power and repair water outages. Total customers without power: 24,000.
  • FEMA’s Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in Mayfield and are helping families apply for federal disaster assistance.
    • In the coming days, these teams will continue to move into other affected communities.
    • To date, more than 1,800 families have already applied for assistance.
    • Those with damage from the storms should apply for disaster assistance, as this is the first step toward gaining access to resources that are becoming available.
    • There are multiple ways to register right now: Call 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-621-FEMA; visit DisasterAssistance.gov; by downloading the FEMA App on your mobile phone.
  • Damage assessments are ongoing, and major work continues to remove debris from roadways and restore or replace damaged traffic signals.
  • Blood donations are still needed. In response to requests from the community for blood donation information, the Red Cross has provided more than 40 blood products to hospitals in Kentucky. The Red Cross remains in touch with hospital partners throughout affected areas and stands ready to provide additional blood products as needed.
  • The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Division of Driver Licensing is making plans to set up temporary stations for issuing replacement licenses and state IDs in Mayfield and Dawson Springs.
  • Graves County Clerk’s equipment for vehicle titling and registration has been recovered and being tested. It will be reinstalled by Transportation Cabinet IT staff and the Commonwealth Office of Technology once a temporary location has been arranged.
  • As a stopgap, Graves County residents needing auto titling and registration can go to a neighboring county’s clerk’s office temporarily. Online renewal is available for anyone with internet service.
  • Jackson Purchase, in partnership with its sister facility Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Somerset, has opened a mobile clinic in Mayfield to care for non-emergent issues.
    • It is operating out of Lowe’s parking lot until further notice. The site was chosen in coordination with the Graves County Emergency Operations Center and Graves County Health Department.
    • The mobile clinic is providing care for local residents, first responders, and anyone needing local medical assistance.
    • Staffed by a nurse practitioner, registered nurse, and licensed practical nurse, the clinic is able to provide first aid, sick visits, medication refills, testing for flu, strep, and COVID-19, and is stocked with first-aid supplies and over-the-counter meds.
    • The clinic is at 1208C Paris Road in Mayfield. It’s open and accepting walk-ins all day and closes each day before the Graves County curfew at dusk.
  • The Team Western Kentucky Relief Fund has accepted 66,829 donations totaling $9,894,603.18. Donations can be made at teamwkyrelieffund.ky.gov.
  • Kentucky State Parks are providing emergency shelters to distressed people affected by the tornado as well as the American Red Cross, utility crews, and first responders.
  • As of last night, Kentucky State Parks has provided 152 rooms for displaced residents and 67 rooms for first responders.
  • Families who are in need of emergency housing may contact their local emergency management office to request lodging.
  • Volunteer Information
    • Yesterday, 16 volunteers were placed at Kenlake, Kentucky Dam, and Pennyrile.
    • We have received an outpouring of support from people wishing to volunteer at our parks.
    • People wishing to volunteer can email Andy Kasitz at andy.kasitz@ky.gov.
  • The World Central Kitchen (WCK) arrived to Western KY on Saturday and started providing meals that same day. Today, they are operating six sites with food trucks, including:
    • Hurrikane’s: Splitting time between First Baptist Church (960 Industrial Park Road, Dawson Springs KY) and Landmark Apostolic Holiness Church (590 Industrial Park Road, Dawson Springs KY).
    • Jus Burgers & Let’s Get Fried: Dawson Springs High School (317 Eli Street, Dawson Springs KY)
    • Chicago Jerk: Jenning’s Creek Elementary School (2617 Russellville Road, Bowling Green KY)
    • Rolling Smoke: East Marshall Baptist Church (6324 Moors Camp Hwy, Gilbertsville KY)
    • World Central Kitchen Food Truck, All Tied Up: Mayfield Fairgrounds (1001 Housman Street Mayfield KY)
    • Infiniti Farms: The Plaza by Lowe’s (1104 Paris Road, Mayfield KY)
    • WCK also has six community outreach teams who have crossed the affected paths of the tornados from Wingo up to Dawson Springs and Princeton.
    • There are 10 WCK employees on the ground with eight local volunteers coming today.
    • WCK is working closely with Chef Ed Lee, who operates the Lee Initiative, and Louisville-area food trucks to provide warm meals. They also have their own food trucks producing hot meals and delivering them to communities.
    • So far, they have done 2,000 meals and are ramping up – they expect to serve 1,200 to 1,500 meals today.

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