Dozens of devastating tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky—many of them workers at a candle factory—and inflicting deadly damage at a sprawling Amazon warehouse in Illinois.
December 11,2021 Dozens of devastating tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky—many of them workers at a candle factory—and inflicting deadly damage at a sprawling Amazon warehouse in Illinois. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was reduced to « matchsticks, » its mayor said. The small town of 10,000 people appeared post-apocalyptic in drone footage posted by storm-chaser Brandon Clement: city blocks leveled, with almost nothing salvageable; historic homes and buildings beaten down to their slabs; tree trunks stripped of their branches; cars overturned in fields. « It is indescribable—the level of devastation is unlike anything I have ever seen, » Kentucky governor Andy Beshear said after rushing to Mayfield. « This will be, I believe, the deadliest tornado system to ever run through Kentucky. » Beshear said it was clear that the death toll in his state was already « north of 70 » and could end up « exceeding 100 before the day is done. » Referring to the candle factory, where a roof collapsed, he said: « We’re going to lose a lot of lives in that facility. It’s a very dire situation. » CNN played a heart-rending tape of an urgent plea posted on Facebook by one of the factory’s employees. « We are trapped, please, y’all, get us some help, » a woman says, her voice quavering as a co-worker can be heard moaning in the background. « We are at the candle factory in Mayfield….
