Thursday, following a tornado touching down in Gallatin and Trimble counties and a possible tornado reported in Carroll County, Gov. Andy Beshear said he has been in direct contact with county judges and mayors involved and that, currently, there are only reports of a couple of minor injuries and no reports of fatalities or missing persons.
The Governor urged Kentuckians to remain weather aware as more storms are expected across the state Thursday evening and into Friday morning.
“It does appear that there is some really significant damage, especially to the town of Milton in Trimble County,” Gov. Beshear said. “We are going to work to do everything we can to help those impacted – and we think there are over 100 structures that are potentially damaged. Our job is to make sure that no Kentuckian is alone, especially in these difficult times.”
The Governor visited the state’s Emergency Operations Center on Thursday to get an update on the impact of the tornado and state and local response efforts, which include:
• Verbal emergency declarations from Carroll, Gallatin and Trimble counties.
• The Emergency Operations Center has been activated with essential partners to provide support as needed.
• Kentucky-area emergency managers and other emergency personnel, including Kentucky State Police and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, have deployed to affected areas to assist.
• Three urban search and rescue teams are on standby, including teams from Jefferson County, Northern Kentucky, and the Ashland Fire Department.
“The safety and well-being of Kentuckians remain our top priority,” said Dustin Heiser, interim director of Kentucky Emergency Management. “We urge individuals in the affected areas to stay informed through local news outlets and official emergency management channels for updates and instructions.”
The Disaster Distress Helpline is a 24/7, year-round, confidential crisis counseling and emotional support resource for survivors, responders and anyone in the U.S./territories struggling with distress or other mental health concerns related to any natural or human-caused disaster.
Late Thursday, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 6 advised motorists of traffic impacts following the weather event Thursday afternoon.
Current Traffic Impacts:
• Gallatin Co.: I-71 near Glencoe – 62 to 65 mile markers: slow traffic due to hail-covered roads.
• Carroll Co.: KY 36 – 1 to 5 mile markers: KY 36 between Milton and Carrolton is CLOSED for an unknown duration due to downed trees and power lines. Seek an alternate route.
