Governor Andy Beshear updated Kentuckians on his administration’s response to the December 11 tornado.
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He was joined at the briefing by Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and Michael Dossett, director of the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management.
The official death toll did not rise overnight and remains at 74 confirmed fatalities.
Reported deaths: 21 in Graves County; 17 in Hopkins County; 15 in Warren County; 11 in Muhlenberg County; 4 in Caldwell County; 2 in Marshall County; and one each in Franklin, Fulton, Lyon and Taylor counties.
Eight of the dead remain unidentified or next of kin have not yet been notified
The age range of those killed now ranges from 2 months old to 98 years old
Twelve of those killed were children.
There currently are 122 Kentuckians unaccounted for, as local, state and federal crews continue rescue and recovery efforts.
Total number of Kentucky National Guardsmen supporting storm relief: 568.
79 soldiers and airmen completed search and extraction and fatality search and retrieval at factory site in Mayfield, with two chaplains serving for spiritual support.
Kentucky State Police continues to request that ALL Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory employees go to His House Ministries Church at 1250 KY 303 in Mayfield. KSP is in the process of verifying information provided by executives from MCP Candle Factory to ensure that all potential victims are accounted for. Call 888 880 8620 if transportation is unavailable (MCP employee support line).
FEMA’s Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in Mayfield and are helping families apply for federal disaster assistance.
Damage assessments are ongoing, and major work continues to remove debris from roadways and restore or replace damaged traffic signals.
Blood donations are still needed. In response to requests from the community for blood donation information, the Red Cross has provided more than 40 blood products to hospitals in Kentucky. The Red Cross remains in touch with hospital partners throughout affected areas and stand ready to provide additional blood products as needed.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Division of Driver Licensing is making plans to set up temporary stations for issuing replacement licenses and state IDs in Mayfield and Dawson Springs.
Graves County Clerk’s equipment for vehicle titling and registration has been recovered and being tested. It will be reinstalled by Transportation Cabinet staff and the Commonwealth Office of Technology once a temporary location has been arranged.
As a stopgap, Graves County residents needing auto titling and registration can go to a neighboring county’s clerk’s office temporarily. Online renewal is available for anyone with internet service.
Jackson Purchase, in partnership with its sister facility Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Somerset, has opened a mobile clinic in Mayfield to care for nonemergent issues.
The Team Western Kentucky Relief Fund has accepted 66,829 donations totaling $9,894,603.18. Donations can be made at teamwkyrelieffund.ky.gov. ■