FRANKFORT, KY – Kentucky’s death toll from devastating tornadoes earlier this month rose by one when Governor Andy Beshear announced Monday that an infant had died last week. The state’s adjusted hurricane death toll is now 77.
The infant, from Graves County in the western part of the state, died last week, the governor said. Mayfield, the county seat, was particularly hard hit by the storms, with hundreds of buildings destroyed.
“This is one of those things that rips apart who we are,” Beshear said during a press conference. He was joined by Kentucky’s first lady, Britainy Beshear.
“You and I ask everyone to join us in lifting this family, their friends and the community in prayer,” he added.
Debris removal in affected areas is “starting to increase,” added Beshear. While about 26% of Graves County remains without power, outages in other counties fell below 1%. Meanwhile, about 11,600 insurance claims have been filed.
“Rebuilding these homes and buildings and lives will take years, and we have to make sure when we need support on the path we have… and we can deploy,” says Beshear. declared it there to help these families,” Beshear said.
In total, the storms killed more than 90 people in five states. The National Weather Service recorded at least 41 tornadoes on December 10 and 11, including 16 in Tennessee and eight in Kentucky.
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