GOOD NEWS. IT’S GETTING TODAY. A COMMUNITY HIT HARD DURING THE WESTERN KENTUCKY TORNADO OUTBREAK IS GETTING A MAJOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. GOVERNOR BESHEAR ANNOUNCED TODAY OSMENT’S AND MANUFACTURING WILL BE OPENING A NEW PLANT IN GRAVES COUNTY. THE PLANT IS EXPECTED TO BRING 80 NEW JOBS AS WLKY IS MARK VANDERHOFF. THE NEWS COMES TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ONE YEAR MARK OF THE DEVASTATE THING. TORNADOES THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO HELP US REBUILD. THAT I KNEW THERE WAS A COMPANY OUT THERE LIKE THAT. I’M SO THANKFUL THAT IT IS THIS GROUP COMING TO US. OSMOND SONS OWNER SAYS THEY WILL INVEST 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE NEW FARM EQUIPMENT FACTORY. WE HAVE BEEN IN SMALL TOWN PERRY, IOWA, VERY SIMILAR TO MAYFIELD FOR, FIVE GENERATIONS. THE NEWS COMES ONE YEAR AFTER THE DEVASTATING TORNADOES LEVELED MUCH OF MAYFIELD AND GRAVES COUNTY. I’LL BE TRAVELING TO THE REGION TO BE WITH OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AND TO HONOR 81 KENTUCKIANS THAT WE LOST THAT NIGHT. THE STORIES OF THAT NIGHT ARE DIFFICULT AND, TRAGIC, BUT THEY’RE ALSO HEROIC. BESHEAR SAYS 40 FAMILIES HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THE KEYS TO NEW HOMES BUILT WITH STATE FUNDS AND DONATIONS. WHILE THERE IS MUCH TO REBUILD, HE ALSO SAYS THE REGION HAS SINCE ATTRACTED BILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT TO. CREATE 3130 JOBS. ALSO THURSDAY IN WASHINGTON, MITCH MCCONNELL SPOKE FROM THE SENATE FLOOR. DOZENS FRANCIS ERECTED A BEAUTIFUL, SOLEMN MEMORIAL TO THE 19 RESIDENTS THAT THE CITY LOST A DAY IN. BOWLING GREEN AND ORGANIZATIONS DELIVERING HANDMADE ORNAMENTS TO STORM VICTIMS IN MAYFIELD. EVEN AS MEMBERS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM FOUGHT TO REBUILD THEIR FAMILY’S LIVES OFF THE FIELD. THE COMMUNITY CHEERED THE TEAM TO AN UNDEFEATED REGULAR SEASON. SENATOR MCCONNELL PRAISED THE RESILIENCY OF THE WESTERN KENTUCKY COMMUNITIES THAT SO MUCH DEVASTATION ONE YEAR
One year later: Looking back at the deadly, devastating western Kentucky tornadoes
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Updated: 3:31 PM EST Dec 9, 2022
It was an unforgettable night in Kentucky.Nearly 20 tornadoes ripped through the western part of the state on Dec. 10 into the early morning of Dec. 11, leaving a giant trail of death and destruction just weeks before Christmas.A year later, communities continue to rebuild. On the anniversary of the tragedy, we're looking back at the storm path, how it all unfolded and how it has and continues to affect people now.OverviewOver the course of 24 hours, tornadoes pummeled parts of four states: Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri.According to the National Weather Service, the first ones hit at 6:40 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10 and by 7:48 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, the storms were done.Number of tornadoes total: 71Kentucky's tornadoes Number of tornadoes: 19The tornadoes in Kentucky all spawned from three supercell storms. The same storm bounced up and down on the radar.The tornado strengths, measured on the Enhanced Fujita scale, varied from EF-1 to a whopping EF-4 in Mayfield. An EF-4 is categorized as violent, with winds 207-260 mph. Death and destructionIn all, 81 people died in Kentucky's storms, and 667 were injured.According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an estimated $305 million in damage was caused to homes, churches and businesses in Kentucky.Mayfield, which was hit with the strongest tornado, suffered extreme damage, most notably the leveling of a candle factory.There were also 257 homes destroyed, and 1,000 damaged.Other towns hit hard included Dawson Springs and Bowling Green.Click below to see more aerials from other hard-hit areas:Fundraising and helpIn all, 16 counties qualified for help from FEMA: Barren, Caldwell, Christian, Fulton, Graves, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Taylor and Warren. The state immediately set up a fund to help those affected, the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund.More than 150,000 people donated to it for a total of $52.3 million. The money paid for the victim’s funeral. Gov. Andy Beshear said funds were provided to insured and uninsured homeowners and renters, and farmers who were hurt by the destruction of the Mayfield Grain Co. The fund also pledged $16 million to build 300 homes in the area.Beshear also announced Thursday during his Team Kenucky update that Osmundson Manufacturing's owner will invest $12.5 million for a new farm equipment factory in Mayfield. Hear more from Beshear about the tornadoes one-year anniversary and recovery below:More stories and video from then
MAYFIELD, Ky. — It was an unforgettable night in Kentucky.
Nearly 20 tornadoes ripped through the western part of the state on Dec. 10 into the early morning of Dec. 11, leaving a giant trail of death and destruction just weeks before Christmas.
A year later, communities continue to rebuild. On the anniversary of the tragedy, we're looking back at the storm path, how it all unfolded and how it has and continues to affect people now.
Overview
Over the course of 24 hours, tornadoes pummeled parts of four states: Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri.
According to the National Weather Service, the first ones hit at 6:40 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10 and by 7:48 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, the storms were done.
Number of tornadoes total: 71
National Weather Service
The various tornado paths through all 4 states
Kentucky's tornadoes
Number of tornadoes: 19
The tornadoes in Kentucky all spawned from three supercell storms. The same storm bounced up and down on the radar.
The tornado strengths, measured on the Enhanced Fujita scale, varied from EF-1 to a whopping EF-4 in Mayfield. An EF-4 is categorized as violent, with winds 207-260 mph.
National Weather Service
Confirmed tornadoes in Kentucky
Death and destruction
In all, 81 people died in Kentucky's storms, and 667 were injured.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an estimated $305 million in damage was caused to homes, churches and businesses in Kentucky.
Mayfield, which was hit with the strongest tornado, suffered extreme damage, most notably the leveling of a candle factory.
There were also 257 homes destroyed, and 1,000 damaged.
Other towns hit hard included Dawson Springs and Bowling Green.
Click below to see more aerials from other hard-hit areas:
Fundraising and help
In all, 16 counties qualified for help from FEMA: Barren, Caldwell, Christian, Fulton, Graves, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Taylor and Warren.
The state immediately set up a fund to help those affected, the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund.
More than 150,000 people donated to it for a total of $52.3 million. The money paid for the victim’s funeral. Gov. Andy Beshear said funds were provided to insured and uninsured homeowners and renters, and farmers who were hurt by the destruction of the Mayfield Grain Co.
The fund also pledged $16 million to build 300 homes in the area.
Beshear also announced Thursday during his Team Kenucky update that Osmundson Manufacturing's owner will invest $12.5 million for a new farm equipment factory in Mayfield.
Hear more from Beshear about the tornadoes one-year anniversary and recovery below:
More stories and video from then
