[Epoch Times December 11, 2021](Epoch Times reporter Li Yan comprehensive report) Late Friday and early Saturday, as many as 30 tornadoes hit six states in the United States. The governor of Kentucky declared a state of emergency on Saturday, and the continued severe weather may have caused 70 to 100 deaths.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency early on Saturday (December 11) and asked President Biden to provide federal assistance.
In a letter to Biden on December 11, Bashir wrote that a factory in Graves County collapsed due to a tornado, workers were trapped inside, and “more than 50 people” may have died.
“I ask you to declare an emergency disaster (state) in Kentucky (in) to deal with a severe weather system that generates a large number of tornadoes.” Bessier wrote that Kentucky needs federal assistance to deal with this incident. “At this time, it is clear that emergency generators are needed to power critical facilities” to cope with widespread power outages.
The governor said that the large amount of rubble has brought great difficulties to search and rescue work, and the Kentucky National Guard has been deployed to provide help and support to the affected communities.
Governor of Kentucky: Tornado may kill 70 to 100 people
Kentucky Governor Bashir told local television station WLKY on Friday that more than 50 people may have died from tornadoes in western Kentucky. Later, at a press conference at 5 a.m. on Saturday, Bashir said that the number of possible deaths reached 70 to 100 people, involving at least 15 counties.
Bashir said that at least four different tornadoes hit the state at night.
According to the Washington Post, a spokeswoman for the state’s emergency management department said that as of early Saturday, rescue officials had not confirmed the number of deaths or injuries.
According to the “Louisville Courier” report, early Saturday morning, hundreds of users in Jefferson County, Kentucky, lost power, and an estimated 20,000 users across the state lost power services.
The New York Times said that the storm caused a CSX freight train to derail in western Kentucky, but no casualties were reported.
According to the report, Mayfield in western Kentucky was the worst damaged by the tornado. When the tornado passed, about 110 people stayed in a candle factory in the area. The candle factory expects “dozens” of employees to die.
Governor Beshir said that police departments and other agencies are using heavy equipment to clean fallen trees and other debris.
He advised Kentucky residents to stay as safe as possible and warned them not to go on the road while emergency responders continue to work. He said that the loss will be “the most serious situation we have seen in a long period of time.”
Bashir warned that there will still be severe storms in the area, and that more damage may be seen on Saturday morning.
Tornado brings casualties to many states
According to “New Times”, Bill Bunting, the business director of the National Weather Service’s Storm Forecast Center, said that at least six states were hit by tornadoes, including Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Missouri. State and Arkansas. There were at least 30 tornadoes. Many state officials reported the deaths.
One of the tornado paths extends from Arkansas to Kentucky. If confirmed, it may be the longest tornado since 1925.
China Post quoted local officials as saying that in Monette, northern Arkansas, a tornado tore the roof of a nursing home, killing at least one person and injuring five others. Mayor Bob Blankenship told CNN that at least 20 people were injured in the facility.
Missouri County Sheriff Dale Cook (Dale Cook) told CNN that another person was killed in nearby Leachville. At that time, an adult woman “was in a Dollar General store and when the storm hit, they couldn’t get out.”
In Illinois, authorities said that late Friday, a tornado and a strong storm blew through an Amazon warehouse near St. Louis, partially collapsed the roof, and many people were trapped. The number of deaths is being confirmed.
In Tennessee, Dean Flener, a spokesperson for the state emergency management agency, told China Post that at least three people were killed in the severe weather.
The system is moving eastward, extending from northern Louisiana to southern Ohio early on Saturday morning, and the weekend may bring more severe weather along the way.
In addition to multiple tornadoes, as of early Saturday, the storm had triggered dozens of reports of gales and hail.
In addition, according to data from poweroutage.us, more than 300,000 users in seven states had power outages as of 6 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday.
Editor in charge: Li Huanyu#
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