Over this past weekend, the state of Kentucky was devastated by the deadliest tornado in the state’s history. Late Friday night through early Saturday morning, there were a reported forty tornadoes spanning over nine states in the Southwest. Dozens of rural towns were heavily affected by the tornado. Following the events of the weekend, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear came out saying at least 50 people were killed in Western Kentucky describing the event as the “most devastating tornado event in our state’s history,” with the possible number of victims reaching over 100. The tornado devastated several other states as well and caused damage in over 18 counties. It is estimated that between 35,000 and 50,000 individuals woke up Sunday morning without power. The governor again described the event, saying “to the people of America, there is no lens big enough to show you the extent of the damage here in Graves County or in Kentucky.”

Both the state and federal government have tried to provide relief to those affected by the devastation. Many local state parks across the state have opened their doors to help house families. In addition over 300 national guard members have been deployed in the state of Kentucky alone to help locate survivors. While some towns made out better than others, no one town was hit harder than the small town of Mayfield, Kentucky. With a population close to 10,000, the town was completely decimated by the disaster. There were a reported eight dead after a tornado tore through a candle making factory, leaving dozens others injured. Parsons-Perez, an employee working the night shift at the time of the tornado, recalled the events, saying “and the top fell down and just caved in on us.” Perez after being trapped under debri recalled saying “I don’t know who’s watching… y’all please send us some help. We are trapped. The wall is stuck on me.” Perez was later rescued along with most of her coworkers. The governor fears the road to reconstruction will be a long one, as the tornado affected thousands of Kentucky residents in major ways. However, the people of Kentucky continue to hold out for hope, even in the most trying of times.