By Mark Maynard
Kentucky Today
At least 20 deaths have been confirmed from violent tornadoes that swept through the commonwealth late Friday evening into early Saturday morning, causing significant damage in the London and Somerset areas.
The wave of tornadoes flattened buildings, destroyed cars, kept thousands without power and collapsed homes and neighborhoods throughout southeastern Kentucky.
The worry was that after the sun rose on Saturday more could be found injured or dead. It was the worst tornado in Somerset since 2012 when six people were killed.
Gov. Andy Beshear issued a state of emergency Friday night in anticipation of the severe storms that were coming. The worst was realized as Kentucky faced yet another catastrophic weather event. The governor reported there were 14 deaths. Later in the day, London Mayor Randall Weddle said the death toll was 23 in Laurel County.
“Multiple fatalities have been confirmed as a result of a tornado that pummeled Laurel County late Friday evening,” Laurel County Fiscal Court posted on Facebook, citing the Laurel-Whitley County Emergency Management Office. “Destroyed homes and buildings are still being searched by emergency responders.”
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said the tornado touched down just before midnight and tore through two neighborhoods and the London Corbin Airport area, “causing mass casualties in its path.”
The office reported besides the reported deaths that “numerous severe injuries occurred to others.”
Laurel County Coroner Doug Bowling said the victims are adults and were residents of the Sunshine Hills subdivision in London.
Sheriff John Root said there were also severe injuries when the tornado tore across Laurel County in late Friday.
“The search is continuing in the damaged area for survivors,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted on social media.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office said, “Laurel County Sheriff stated that we lift up those lives who were tragically cut short by the fury of the tornado and those who have been injured. Strengthen the hands of rescuers and inspire compassion in the hearts of communities near and far to offer aid in support.”
The Kentucky State Police Post 11 London and local emergency responders said First Baptist Church in London will provide shelter to those affected by the tornado.
The Post 11 also made a plea around midnight for chainsaws to help firefighters and others remove fallen trees from roads.
London Mayor Randall Weddle said in a video posted to his public Facebook that “It’s just been amazing to watch all the moving parts here in our city and county. Right now, they’re still searching for people through all the debris.”
Kentucky Emergency Management urged residents to document damage and wait for a disaster declaration before applying for FEMA aid.
Authorities set up a station at South Laurel High School for people displaced by the storm and a place for first responders, who worked through the night in heavy rain, to get warm, get food and receive first aid if needed.
In Somerset the damage was worst in the communities in the business district in the southern part of the city.
“The south side of the city was hardest hit,” said Mayor Alan Keck, speaking to WKYT reporters. He asked city residents to “be patient and give grace” as works worked to clean damage caused by the devastating storm.
Several businesses were destroyed by the storm including a Lutheran church, a coffee shop called Baxter’s, a Speedway convenience store and a regional headquarters of South Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative.
The damage was mostly on Parkers Mill Road, Keck said.
The Lake Cumberland Baptist Association building also had significant damage.
In Missouri at least seven people died and authorities were searching from building to building for people who were trapped or hurt after severe storms including at least one possible tornado.
The storms were part of a severe weather system Friday that also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, left several hundred thousand customers without power in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas.
The National Weather Service in Paducah said multiple tornado damage surveys were planned for the weekend and early next week in Kentucky, Missouri and southern Illinois.