“We knew it was bad, but not till the sun started coming up did we look at it and saw matchsticks,” Mayfield, Kentucky, Mayor Kathy Stewart O’Nan said.
Kabar Medsos – Desperate search and rescue efforts continued Sunday morning as the extent of the damage from catastrophic tornadoes that ripped through Kentucky and other states became clear.
At least 29 people died as devastating twisters destroyed a candle factory in Kentucky, battered a nursing home in Arkansas, leveled an Amazon distribution center in Illinois and wreaked havoc in Tennessee and Missouri, according to an NBC News tally. The figure is expected to rise as cleanup efforts continue.
In Kentucky alone, 15 people were confirmed dead by late Saturday, including a 3-year-old child in Graves County.
Gov. Andy Beshear said the tornado event was the deadliest ever to hit Kentucky, estimating that 70 to 100 people may have been killed.
“There’s not a camera lens big enough to show the path of absolute destruction. People have lost everything,” Beshear told Chuck Todd on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“We’re talking in the rescue effort of going door to door — there aren’t doors,” he said.
With his voice cracking slightly, he added: “We are resilient, and we will rebuild.”
Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to Kentucky and joined Beshear for a news conference Sunday afternoon.
Officials announced that President Joe Biden had approved an emergency declaration, which frees up federal resources to help the state’s recovery efforts. FEMA has deployed teams to help assess and manage the situation, particularly as power, water, fuel and housing are in critically short supply.
“Thousands of people are without homes. We don’t have an exact number of houses because right now we’re trying to count people,” Beshear said. “And that’s where we have our main focus.”
Kentucky State Police found 12 people dead in Bremen, Trooper Matt Sudduth confirmed Sunday morning. Search and rescue crews were still working to get through the debris; teams from other parts of the state came in Sunday to offer relief to those who have yet to get a break.
“The Kentucky State Police is working with multiple other agencies in efforts to preserve as much life as possible,” Sudduth said. “The cold temperatures last night are concerning, but efforts continue. The damage being so widespread, it just takes time.”
In one of the hardest-hit communities, Mayfield, a city of about 10,000, residents shared devastating images of devastated homes and trees ripped from the ground. Twisted metal, downed power lines and wrecked vehicles lined the streets.
The “town is gone,” Mayfield Mayor Kathy Stewart O’Nan told NBC’s “Nightly News” after authorities said the police and fire stations were also destroyed.
“We knew it was bad, but not till the sun started coming up did we look at it and saw matchsticks,” she said. “Our hearts are broken.”
Crews continued to hunt for survivors in the wreckage of a candle factory, where 110 people were working overnight Friday when the storm hit.
By Sunday, eight people had died, with nine still unaccounted for, authorities said. Beshear said Sunday that it was still too early to confirm numbers for the factory.
“We had to, at times, crawl over casualties to get to live victims,” Jeremy Creason, the city’s fire chief and EMS director, told The Associated Press.
Daryl Johnson said his sister Janine Johnson was working inside the factory when the tornado hit. He had been trying to reach her since then.
“I’m prepared for the worst,” he said. “I’m hoping for the best, but I’m preparing for the worst.”
Kyanna Parsons-Perez, who turned 40 on Saturday, said she was trapped under the debris for at least two hours before rescue teams pulled her out.
“I think the lights went out, and then we did a rock, rock, rock … boom, and everything fell down on us,” she said.
Her colleague Jessaundra Jackson, who was not at the factory when the tornado hit, went back early the next day to help crews pull people out.
“I could hear people screaming for help, but you can’t see them,” said Jackson, 33. “You couldn’t see them. … You can just hear them.”
In Illinois, at least six people were killed when a 100-foot section of a wall partly collapsed at an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, authorities said.
Amazon founder and Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos said the news was “tragic” in a tweet Saturday. “We’re heartbroken over the loss of our teammates there,” he said.
Elsewhere, four people died in Tennessee and two were killed in Arkansas, where a nursing home was destroyed. Two more people died in Missouri.
Tim penyelamat mencari korban selamat setelah tornado mematikan melanda beberapa negara bagian
“Kami tahu itu buruk, tetapi tidak sampai matahari mulai terbit, kami melihatnya dan melihat batang korek api,” kata Walikota Mayfield, Kentucky, Kathy Stewart O’Nan.
Kabar Medsos – Upaya pencarian dan penyelamatan yang putus asa berlanjut pada Minggu pagi ketika tingkat kerusakan akibat tornado dahsyat yang melanda Kentucky dan negara bagian lainnya menjadi jelas.
Sedikitnya 29 orang tewas ketika angin puting beliung menghancurkan pabrik lilin di Kentucky, menghancurkan sebuah panti jompo di Arkansas, meratakan pusat distribusi Amazon di Illinois dan mendatangkan malapetaka di Tennessee dan Missouri, menurut penghitungan NBC News. Angka tersebut diperkirakan akan meningkat seiring upaya pembersihan terus berlanjut.
Di Kentucky saja, 15 orang dipastikan tewas pada Sabtu malam, termasuk seorang anak berusia 3 tahun di Graves County.
Gubernur Andy Beshear mengatakan peristiwa tornado adalah yang paling mematikan yang pernah melanda Kentucky, memperkirakan bahwa 70 hingga 100 orang mungkin telah tewas.
“Tidak ada lensa kamera yang cukup besar untuk menunjukkan jalan kehancuran mutlak. Orang-orang telah kehilangan segalanya,” kata Beshear kepada Chuck Todd di “Meet the Press” NBC News pada hari Minggu.
“Kami berbicara dalam upaya penyelamatan dari pintu ke pintu – tidak ada pintu,” katanya.
Dengan suaranya yang sedikit serak, dia menambahkan: “Kami tangguh, dan kami akan membangun kembali.”
Deanne Criswell, administrator Badan Manajemen Darurat Federal, dan Menteri Keamanan Dalam Negeri Alejandro Mayorkas melakukan perjalanan ke Kentucky dan bergabung dengan Beshear untuk konferensi pers Minggu sore.
Pejabat mengumumkan bahwa Presiden Joe Biden telah menyetujui deklarasi darurat, yang membebaskan sumber daya federal untuk membantu upaya pemulihan negara. FEMA telah mengerahkan tim untuk membantu menilai dan mengelola situasi, terutama karena pasokan listrik, air, bahan bakar, dan perumahan sangat terbatas.
“Ribuan orang tidak memiliki rumah. Kami tidak memiliki jumlah pasti rumah karena saat ini kami sedang menghitung orang,” kata Beshear. “Dan di situlah kami memiliki fokus utama kami.”
Polisi Negara Bagian Kentucky menemukan 12 orang tewas di Bremen, Polisi Matt Sudduth mengkonfirmasi Minggu pagi. Kru pencarian dan penyelamatan masih bekerja untuk melewati puing-puing; tim dari bagian lain negara bagian datang pada hari Minggu untuk menawarkan bantuan kepada mereka yang belum mendapatkan istirahat.
“Polisi Negara Bagian Kentucky bekerja sama dengan beberapa lembaga lain dalam upaya untuk melestarikan kehidupan sebanyak mungkin,” kata Sudduth. “Suhu dingin tadi malam mengkhawatirkan, tetapi upaya terus berlanjut. Kerusakan begitu meluas, hanya butuh waktu.”
Di salah satu komunitas yang paling terpukul, Mayfield, sebuah kota berpenduduk sekitar 10.000, penduduk berbagi gambar yang menghancurkan rumah-rumah yang hancur dan pohon-pohon yang tumbang dari tanah. Logam bengkok, kabel listrik yang jatuh, dan kendaraan yang rusak berjajar di jalan-jalan.
“Kota itu hilang,” Walikota Mayfield Kathy Stewart O’Nan mengatakan kepada “Nightly News” NBC setelah pihak berwenang mengatakan polisi dan stasiun pemadam kebakaran juga dihancurkan.
“Kami tahu itu buruk, tetapi tidak sampai matahari mulai terbit, kami melihatnya dan melihat batang korek api,” katanya. “Hati kami hancur.”
Para kru terus mencari korban selamat di reruntuhan pabrik lilin, tempat 110 orang bekerja pada Jumat malam ketika badai menerjang.
Pada hari Minggu, delapan orang telah meninggal, dengan sembilan masih belum ditemukan, kata pihak berwenang. Beshear mengatakan pada hari Minggu bahwa masih terlalu dini untuk mengkonfirmasi jumlah pabrik.
“Kami harus, kadang-kadang, merangkak di atas korban untuk mendapatkan korban yang masih hidup,” Jeremy Creason, kepala pemadam kebakaran kota dan direktur EMS, mengatakan kepada The Associated Press.
Daryl Johnson mengatakan saudara perempuannya Janine Johnson sedang bekerja di dalam pabrik ketika tornado menerjang. Dia telah berusaha menghubunginya sejak saat itu.
“Saya siap untuk yang terburuk,” katanya. “Aku berharap yang terbaik, tapi aku bersiap untuk yang terburuk.”
Kyanna Parsons-Perez, yang berusia 40 tahun pada hari Sabtu, mengatakan dia terjebak di bawah puing-puing setidaknya selama dua jam sebelum tim penyelamat menariknya keluar.
“Saya pikir lampu padam, dan kemudian kami melakukan rock, rock, rock … boom, dan semuanya menimpa kami,” katanya.
Rekannya Jessaundra Jackson, yang tidak berada di pabrik saat tornado melanda, kembali lebih awal keesokan harinya untuk membantu kru menarik orang keluar.
“Saya bisa mendengar orang berteriak minta tolong, tapi Anda tidak bisa melihat mereka,” kata Jackson, 33 tahun. “Anda tidak bisa melihat mereka. … Anda hanya bisa mendengarnya.”
Di Illinois, sedikitnya enam orang tewas ketika bagian dinding setinggi 100 kaki runtuh sebagian di fasilitas Amazon di Edwardsville, kata pihak berwenang.
Pendiri dan Ketua Eksekutif Amazon Jeff Bezos mengatakan berita itu “tragis” dalam sebuah tweet hari Sabtu. “Kami sedih atas kehilangan rekan satu tim kami di sana,” katanya.
Di tempat lain, empat orang tewas di Tennessee dan dua tewas di Arkansas, di mana sebuah panti jompo dihancurkan. Dua orang lagi meninggal di Missouri.
