'All we can do is clean up and start again,' Mayfield residents claw through debris

Record ID: 1650893

  • Title: 'All we can do is clean up and start again,' Mayfield residents claw through debris
  • Date: 13th December 2021
  • Summary: MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 12, 2021) (REUTERS) EXCAVATOR REMOVING DEBRIS DESTROYED STORE FRONTS CAR ON ITS SIDE EXCAVATOR REMOVING DEBRIS U.S. FLAG AMONG DEBRIS SIGN SAYING (English): "GOD IS GOOD BEATEN BUT NOT DEFEATED" (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAYFIELD RESIDENT, COMMERCIAL BUILDING OWNER, FELIPPE COROY, SAYING: "Well, I feel like... I feel very lucky because it's something that you don't know when it's going to happen. And I know this is going to sound strange... I feel blessed now. I know a lot of us, we lost a lot of things, but we haven't lost the life. It is the most important thing that human being can have in this life. Life. Everything can be replaceable. These buildings are replaceable, that house. But life, you can't (replace)." Unidentified: for a life, you can. FRONT VIEW OF COURTHOUSE VARIOUS OF SIDE VIEWS OF COURTHOUSE VARIOUS OF DESTROYED BUILDINGS EXCAVATOR REMOVING DEBRIS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAYFIELD RESIDENT, RENTED COMMERCIAL BUILDING TO RUN 'TOTAL ECLIPSE WINDOW TINTING,' MAEGAN HALL, SAYING: "You're still... you're... you're still kind of in the state of how do we even start? Where do we go from here? You know, like just trying to see into the future and it's... right now we're not to that point yet. We don't even know where we're going to start." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAYFIELD RESIDENT, RENTED COMMERCIAL BUILDING TO RUN 'TOTAL ECLIPSE WINDOW TINTING,' JUSTIN HALL, SAYING: "But it's going to get better." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAYFIELD RESIDENT, RENTED COMMERCIAL BUILDING TO RUN 'TOTAL ECLIPSE WINDOW TINTING,' MAEGAN HALL, SAYING: "Yeah, it'll get better." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAYFIELD RESIDENT, RENTED COMMERCIAL BUILDING TO RUN 'TOTAL ECLIPSE WINDOW TINTING,' JUSTIN HALL, SAYING: "Neighbors, helping neighbors. We're going... we're going to be back." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAYFIELD RESIDENT, RENTED COMMERCIAL BUILDING TO RUN 'TOTAL ECLIPSE WINDOW TINTING,' MAEGAN HALL, SAYING: "Hopefully, we'll be right back where we're at... were. So, hopefully we'll be right here." EXCAVATOR REMOVE DEBRIS ON ONE MAIN STREETS PAN FROM DESTROYED BUILDING TO DEBRIS ON GROUND VARIOUS OF WORKERS ZOOM OUT FROM FAMILY LOOKING AT STOVE, LAST REMAINING PIECE OF EQUIPMENT FROM THEIR RESTAURANT TRUCK BROKEN IN HALF BY TORNADO (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAYFIELD RESIDENT, FAMILY RESTAURANT OWNER, WAYNE FLINT, SAYING: "This was a restaurant right here. And as you can see, there's nothing left of it. So, we're just gonna clean it up, and throw it all away, and start again. That's all any of us can do here, you know, because there is nothing worth keeping, you know? This truck was sitting 20 foot away from that building. And when the tornado came through, that truck was sitting I want to try to jump through this. The truck was setting up a rope. I'm talking about wind. It was, you know, and it just completely just on that road. That's how much wind there was, you know? It it just completely... just... devastation. I mean, there nothing left here, you know? So, all we can do is clean up and start again, you know? And that's what we're going to do." ZOOM OUT FROM WHITE BUS WITH SIGN SAYING (English): "First Baptist Church" TO DEBRIS AND DESTROYED BUILDINGS DESTROYED BUILDINGS AND DEBRIS VARIOUS OF DESTROYED POWER LINES (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAYFIELD RESIDENT, OWNER OF DESTROYED IN TORNADO 'GREER NEON COMPANY,' KEITH CROUCH, SAYING: "Well, we were out of town, got a phone call that tornado came through, and the houses were gone, and I said,' Well, I wonder what my business looks like' and so forth. I My son came up here and he called me and said, 'Dad it's gone.' I couldn't believe it." CROUCH'S WIFE AND FATHER LOOK ON AS EXCAVATOR CLEANS DEBRIS OF WHAT USED TO BE THEIR BUSINESS 'GREER NEON COMPANY' ZOOM OUT FROM BLUE CHAIR IN DESTROYED BUILDING TO WIDE VIEW OF DESTRUCTION DESTROYED VEHICLE MAN WALKS PAST U.S. FLAG STUCK IN RUBBLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAYFIELD RESIDENT, MARTIAL ARTS BUSINESS OWNER, YONAH YISRAEL, SAYING: "We're up here, trying to get what we can out of our business here, you know? We had a training... a fight training gym was here and, as you can see, now, we're trying to get everything out we can that's left. Everything is pretty much destroyed, so we're starting over. It's OK." VARIOUS OF WORKERS CLEANING UP U.S. POST OFFICE EXCAVATOR CLEANING UP DEBRIS ZOOM OUT FROM DESTROYED BUILDING TO DEBRIS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER SUPER SUPERINTENDENT OF MAYFIELD INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, LONNIE BURGETT, SAYING: "I feel devastated and very, very sad. It's taken a lot of lives, and it's taken a lot of buildings, and vehicles and all of this to this town. This town is a small town, very close and it will be difficult for them to replace all that they've lost. So, I'm really worried about them, if you will." VARIOUS OF DESTROYED BUILDINGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PADUCAH RESIDENT, WHO CAME TO MAYFIELD TO HELP FIRST RESPONDERS BY SERVING FOOD AND DRINKS, ROBBIE SHOULTA, SAYING: " We're just here cooking some burgers and hot dogs. We didn't know how we can help out. We knew we had a grill, and we got some people to donate some food, so we thought we could at least grill, hand out some water. We're going to be here as long as we get food." VARIOUS OF MAYFIELD SIGN ON WALL AND TOWN VIEWS
  • Embargoed: 27th December 2021 00:49
  • Keywords: Kentucky Mayfield businesses debris help homes rescue efforts residents survivors tornadoes water without power
  • Location: MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES
  • City: MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Disaster/Accidents,United States,Wind/Hurricane/Typhoons/Tornadoes
  • Reuters ID: LVA001F7VFAYV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Rescue workers in Kentucky on Sunday (December 12) scoured debris for survivors as many residents without power, water or even a roof over their heads salvaged what they could after a string of powerful tornadoes that officials fear killed more than 100 people and obliterated homes and businesses.
    Authorities said they had little hope of finding survivors after the tornadoes tore through the U.S. Midwest and South on Friday (December 10) night, killing people in at least five states.
    Six workers were killed at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois after the plant buckled under the force of the tornado, including one cargo driver who died in the bathroom, where many workers told Reuters they had been directed to shelter.
    A nursing home was struck in Arkansas, causing one of that state's two deaths.
    Four were reported dead in Tennessee and two in Missouri.
    But nowhere suffered as much as the small town of Mayfield, Kentucky, where the large twisters, which weather forecasters say are unusual in winter, destroyed a candle factory and the fire and police stations.
    Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said at least 80 people in his state were dead and the toll was eventually going to exceed 100, but he held out hope for "some miracles" even though it had been more than 24 hours since anyone was found alive in the rubble.
    A company spokesman said there may be fewer deaths in the candle factory than previously feared.
    Among the 110 people who were at the factory, eight have been confirmed dead and eight others have not been located, leaving far fewer missing than had been reported earlier, said Bob Ferguson, a spokesperson for Mayfield Consumer Products.
    It was unclear how many factory workers Beshear was counting in his estimate.
    The governor said the tornadoes were the most destructive in the state's history and that even the sturdiest structures of steel and brick were flattened.
    More than 300 members of the National Guard were going door to door and removing debris.
    Teams were working to distribute water and generators.
    The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency was opening shelters and sending teams and supplies, including 30,000 meals and 45,000 liters (12,000 gallons) of water.
    Across Mayfield, a community of 10,000 people in the state's southwestern corner, homes were flattened or missing roofs, giant trees had been uprooted and street signs were mangled.
    (Production: Aleksandra Michalska)
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