, you know, _ head towards graves county, you know. it — head towards graves county, you know,reality at that time. so i went— know, it was a reality at that time. so i went back and said to you all, what _ so i went back and said to you all, what we _ so i went back and said to you all, what we need from everyone is we need _ what we need from everyone is we need your— what we need from everyone is we need your prayers, we need your heio _ need your prayers, we need your hel. ~ . , ., need your prayers, we need your hel. ., ,., , ., , need your prayers, we need your help. the mayor of graves county and makin: help. the mayor of graves county and making reference _ help. the mayor of graves county and making reference to _ help. the mayor of graves county and making reference to watching - help. the mayor of graves county and making reference to watching noah, i making reference to watching noah, who was the meteorologist who we had just spoken to and who has given us thatjust just spoken to and who has given us that just extraordinary footage just spoken to and who has given u

we were able to tour graves county and marshall- tour graves county and marshall county — tour gravesarshall county. as you heard _ tour graves county and marshall county. as you heard the - tour graves county and marshall. county. as you heard the governor say, me. _ county. as you heard the governor say. me. myself— county. as you heard the governor say, me, myself and _ county. as you heard the governor say, me, myself and the _ county. as you heard the governor say, me, myself and the rest- county. as you heard the governor say, me, myself and the rest of. county. as you heard the governorl say, me, myself and the rest of the nation _ say, me, myself and the rest of the nation have — say, me, myself and the rest of the nation have been— say, me, myself and the rest of the nation have been watching - say, me, myself and the rest of the nation have been watching this - say, me, myself and the rest of the nation have been watching this and| nation have been watching this and seeing _ nation have been watching this and seeing the — nation have been watching this and seeing the picture

we have no water here in graves county that affects a lot of the rural area in graves county. we're going to work through that with maple water and electric and a lot of our utilities. the power is out mayor for several miles around the city. there again, i'm asking for each and every one of you to pray for our community. thank you. about mayfield and graves county? quickly, my answer is the people. and what's happening today is exactly what we do best. we have been hit our commonwealth has been hit people. we love have lost loved ones his heart. our hearts are broken. because the people that we work with the people that we know our families are hurting. so i echo what judge perry has just said i've heard from so many mayors across the commonwealth and people i went to high school with and college with what can we do? what can we do and right now what we need from people who aren't standing in this room and directing other people. it's just to pray for us and we will we will be fine. it's gonna take us while we will be fine. but today we're going to focus on those who who have

right now we're joined on the phone by graves county judge executive jesse perry.hank you so much for sharing part of your morning with us. first, i just want to find out how you're doing? are you okay? how did you make it through the storm? how is your family doing? >> so we're -- we live a little south of mayfield, and we watched this storm for many -- i guess a few hours just on radar as it was coming, heading our way. my family is safe. i mean, we are blessed. you know, everything is fine with us. that being said, after the storm, watching the weather and the radar after it moved on through our city, and then that's when i went ahead and went into actually downtown mayfield, that's where i went to because that's where they had concentrated with a lot of the -- talking about the debris and when i got there, it's what is at hand now, so -- >> and jesse, have you had any communication with the rescue workers, with officials near that candle factory? have you gotten any update, any estimates on what they think regarding the number of people that may still be trappe

>> they're here in graves county. >> do we have some of our graves county responders?edicine and all, we're sending people -- >> i believe they're at the graves county fairgrounds, fedex -- >> so we're dropping water at the fairgrounds here. we're having all the packages now delivered there from different groups. michael? >> governor, there's a mobile pharmacy on the way to assist. >> and there is a mobile pharmacy on the way to assist. >> as we look ahead to rebuilding, i know that right now you're just trying to still save lives and assess everything, but will you look to rebuild in a way that makes sure there are more safety structures in place in the event that more tornados -- >> every time we rebuild, we want to be more resilient. we don't want to see this ever happen again. with that, i think when it's all said and done, when they evaluate the power of this tornado, it's pretty hard to build a structure that can ultimately hold up to it. whether these structures have been brick or wood or steel, some of these, even metal buildings, they're gone. when this tornad

hopefully safe in graves county. again, and because we have multiple of our towns in rubble, finding -- or the numbers are going to move a little bit. we're going to do the best we can to give you the most accurate information we can. yesterday we received that major declaration from the federal government. the fastest in our history. we are very grateful and we have now asked for additional counties to be added, both for public assistance. these are roads and government buildings and public infrastructure. it's the public assistance program, as well as individual assistance. people who have lost their homes. the extra counties that we have asked for on public assistance include boyle, breckenridge, bullet, casey, christian, edmondson, grayson, green, harden, hart, hickman, livingston, logan, lyon, merion, monroe, ohio, shelby, spencer and todd as the same counties we've asked for the individual assistance as well. that is how widespread the damage from this event is when what i think will be an f-4 or f-5 tornado to

we have no water here in graves county. that affects a lot of the rural area in graves county.king for each and every one of you to pray for our community. thank you. >> always ask about what's the best thing about mayfield and graves county, quickly my answer is the people, and what's happening today is exactly what we do best. we have been hit, our commonwealth has been hit. people we love have lost loved ones. our hearts are broken because the people that we work with, the people that we know, our families are hurting. i echo what judge perry has just said. i've heard from so many mayors across the commonwealth and people i went to high school with, college with, what can we do. what we need from people standing in this room and directing other people is just to pray for us, and we will be fine. it's going to take us a while, we will be fine. today we're going to focus on those who have lost so much, and that's where our hearts are with them who have lost the people they love and the property and the way they make a living. pray for us, stand with us, and we will come out st

the mayor of graves county.o the meteorologist noah berger in. we heard a little of him in the report, but i spoke to him at length when he was in midfield kentucky and he showed me the extent of the damage. that's the best explanation of this i can give you. i've been covering and following whether for my entire professional career and i speak for every meteorologist both in the united states and around the world that whether it's a hurricane or a tornado or a blizzard, it's one thing when we know the potential of the atmosphere, it's another thing when it actually becomes a reality and every meteorologist�*s worst fear is when the worst case happens and that's what we have here. this very well may be the longest tracking tornado in united states history. 0n the ground for over 200 miles and we arejust looking at a small piece of those 200 miles. goodness. and people's houses, livelihoods, businesses, in many, many cases, they've just gone? two weeks before christmas, yeah. i mean, the amazing thing is we have

well, at least four kentucky counties were left devastated. 0fficials described mayfield in graves county at a press conference a little earlier describing his feelings when he realised his county was going to be hit. you know, this is probably the toughest day of my life right here. when you run for office, you don't know what to expect, but when you see your communities and your county in this kind of situation, it's tough. it's tough on our communities, it's tough on our families. you know, last night, i was with my family and i was watching... we were watching the storm. we were watching noah and trent with the weather on the local six, and those folks did a really good job of informing what was going to happen, but i had an eerie feeling about it, i can tell you that. i didn't really feel good about it and as this thing was, as the governor said, for the 200 miles it was on the ground, watching it head towards graves county, you know, it was a reality at that time. so the only thing i can say to you all at this time, what we need from everyone is we need your prayers, we need your he

and assist _ come right here in graves county and assist in _ come right here in graves countyounty, metro ema came down and got on the road within two hours _ down and got on the road within two hours and _ down and got on the road within two hours and brought assets from there and they're _ hours and brought assets from there and they're going to be staying from several _ and they're going to be staying from several days and thank you most of all to— several days and thank you most of all to all— several days and thank you most of all to all of— several days and thank you most of all to all of first responders. you are the _ all to all of first responders. you are the true _ all to all of first responders. you are the true heroes. you're out where — are the true heroes. you're out where the _ are the true heroes. you're out where the wind was still blowing and the thunderstorms were passing through— the thunderstorms were passing through said thank you for that. we are also— through said thank you for that. we are also looking at, as the governor indicated. _ are also looking

local churches in graves county, kentucky, where mayfield is located, have offered shelter.triage center is currently at mayfield high school, but there's still some concern about where to house people, especially considering it's getting colder with the orms moving past and this cold front moving in. temperatures are now in the 30s, 40s and yeah, there's a great concern for shelter. one of the things that the state has done is that they've opened up state resort pas near some local lakes and western kentucky, where a room like, you know, rooms in various lodges are being offered. this afternoon i'm going to be going to some of the local churches that are often sheltered soon. but as for now, in terms of a permanent solution, you know, these churches in graves county are just seen as a temporary solution in terms of the longer term that's still being worked out at the moment. >> sreenivasan: there's been a lot of attention paid to this candle factory. tell us a little bit about what this means to this community. >> it was a local candle factory and, you know, a lot of people

we were able to tour graves county in marshall county as well as visit the camel factory.ard the governor say me, myself and the rest of the nation we've been watching this and see the pictures. but standing there in these communities you do not get that feeling from a picture. when you stand in one direction and look and see all the devastation and turn to your right and all the devastation around you, you cannot understand how this is impacted the communities until you're there. it's so important to be here so we can make sure were provided the right level of assistance to help with your response and ongoing recovery. we had the opportunity a few moments ago to hear from accounting executive where the governor brought them together to hear the impacts of their having and some of the shortfall the things that we heard our housing and houses going to be a tremendous needs to go forward. power you will all of these things to help the community start the rebuilding process. because we know housing is good to be a tremendous need, whatever housing experts will be here tomorro

graves county jailer george workman here with me now., for your loss, and all that you have gone through. my heartbreaks for you. first of all, how are you doing? >> it's day by day. hour by hour, you could say. time seems to be dragging on. >> reporter: i'm sure it is. this is your worst nightmare. tell us what it was like. what happened at the jail when the tornado hit? >> well, it hit the top floor of the courthouse and blew it basically off on to the jail, which is adjacent to it. and it hit on the roof of the jail which didn't support the weight very well. and busted some cross beams that were crucial to the integrity. and then, of course, i had just, i was at my residence in the closet due to the tornado coming through there. and it had just hit at my house and within about five minutes or so, i'm getting a phone call from my deputies advising me there was a direct hit there. >> reporter: and i know that throughout the day, you anticipated that there could be a tornado or bad storms coming through. what kind of preparations did the

while most of the damage and most of the fatalities are right there in graves county, we've got fatalitiesntucky. bowling green, hopkins county, it's just a tragic, incredibly tragic loss of life to a lot of folks. i know the message that we're getting from the governor's office is to donate blood, if you can, and to donate to what the state has set up a central donating portal and i can give you that web address if you all don't already have it. but the governor has tweeted it out. i encourage people to do both of those things, donate blood and give to the central portal to help rebuild the folks here in west kentucky. >> that is so important, the folks here in western kentucky. not just here. they're going to need help in the near future, but in the long run too. i think about all that these folks have gone through, getting through a pandemic, how difficult that must have been going through that and now this, it is just so -- go ahead. a few weeks before christmas. from all accounts, this -- the town where i am right here, this town square was lit up for christmas. again, 24 hours ago, y

i've been in personal contact with local leaders such as the mayor of mayfield, county judges in graves and marshall counties and talking to emergency management in most of the hardest hit areas. before midnight i declared a state of emergency. i have activated the national guard. we are deploying 181 guardsmen including search and extraction and debris clearance folks. they will be arriving in communities this morning. the transportation cabinet has mobilized its heavy equipment to help clear debris. they will be assisted by the guard and the division of forestry. state police have been working all night to save lives. ems, fire and other professionals are on the way. i've also requested an immediate federal emergency declaration. we have two tractor-trailers filled with water headed towards western kentucky. i want to thank every local ems employee, police officer, firefighter, and first responder. this has been one of the toughest nights in kentucky history and some areas have been hit in ways that are hard to put into words. to all of our kentucky families that are impacted by this,

counties. as the storm traveled western kentucky it traveled, fulton, hickman, graves, marshall and lyonnes countyve them out on the state routes as well as the county routes that intersect with those state routes through the swath of the storm, loaders, track loaders, dozers, excavators, chain saws and manpower. in mayfield we have approximately 20 folks that are from other crews and from our other counties assisting our graves county grew and then altogether in graves county we have about 40 folks helping assist with state routes, city routes and we've been in conjunction with the chief of police here, the public works director, the mayor, the state police, coordinating our efforts on every route there is in the city of mayfield. in totality we have about approximately 170 police across our district one in some capacity addressing this storm. we have every large piece of equipment we have at our disposal in operation currently. >> thank you. >> chief, or chief, would you like to offer anything additional? you're welcome to. i wanted to make sure we had an opportunity to hear directly from them.

do you know if everyone who lives in mayfield or graves county has been accounted for? >> i have not been told or i wasn't told today of any numbers of anybody that's still missing. i'm not -- i don't have an accurate count on that. so i would night answer that. >> it's been almost five days. how are people in mayfield holding up right now in this new reality? >> right. i think a lot of people, the reality is setting in, as you said, day five. and it's easy to remember the first couple of days were kind of numbing. every day is a new challenge. but you continue to see people press forward. and i know there's so much support here right now. i worry about two weeks from now when christmas and new year's is coming fast or it's cold weather, i worry about two months from now. i heard the president speak about the emotional support that we're going to need or people that really have lost loved ones or their homes in this community, in dawson springs are going to need six months from now or whenever because it's going to have made an everlasting impact on their life. >> yeah.

our post serves 11 counties, but graves county actually houses our facility, so this is our home. >> trooper, is there anything else that you would like our viewers to know? >> just for the citizens that are in the area that are not harmed, if you are safe, please remain where you're at so we can get to those that do need our assistance. >> all right, trooper burgess there on the ground in graves county, kentucky, we appreciate your time and our thoughts, our prayers are with you and your community at this time. >> thank you, ma'am, we sure appreciate that. >> we're going to have much more on the other side of the break on this detective -- devastating news in kentucky. include ago storm chaser who witnessed one of these detective tornados firsthand. that's next. tornados firsthand that's next. before each load. to give your laundry a light scent that lasts longer than detergent alone, with no heavy perfumes or dyes. finally, a light scent that lasts all day! new downy light, available in four naturally-inspired scents. - your mom's got to go! - she's family. she's using my old spice

also the graves county emergency management website has some resources available.l where you donate. there's a lot of people trying to do good, but you also want to make sure that you're using a verified source for that. but i can tell you that there are a lot of people on the ground here doing the best they can to meet every need, and they certainly have a big task ahead of them. they certainly do in our hearts go out to all of those affected by those devastating tornadoes will not only in mayfield, kentucky for us tonight. thanks for your time, we appreciate it. coming up on ktvu at 6 30, a postal service driver, setting a remarkable milestone without ever leaving san francisco also ahead tonight, what a night for steph curry at madison square garden market baniyas with the aftermath later in sports, that's a hard but necessary reality check. we're hearing from san francisco school superintendent. after the approval of $90 million in budget cuts. this holiday season, we want to enjoy the gift of being together. for peace of mind, take the first step in knowing. b

devastating tornado event in our state's history and for those that have seen it, what it's done here in graves countys indescribable. britain warns russia it will face severe consequences if it invades if it invades ukraine.

while go over counties with excess of over 500 with outage. graves, callaway, marshall, equal. 14,000. hopkins, 6,500. christian, 2,000. hickman, 1,200. fulton 900. todd 700. carlisle about 700. caldwell about the same. 700. so we're moving forward very quickly. you've seen if you're in the impact area, you've seen many contractors that are over target assisting in the power of restoration. if you don't have power, life is not good and we're doing everything we can. we have approximately 95% of those lines assessed across the state. 29 transmission lines are down. those are the large ones. we have no decrease in numbers for telephone polls and power poles that are down. 8,000. three of the large co-ops across the state. so expect a delay in putting the new poles in. that is a very intense labor and then they have to string the wires. update on water and sewer systems out of the impact area. most all of the systems are operating and that includes 16 to the system. one in south hopkins and one in morton's gap are about to come back online. we have prov

as you're speaking to folks there if you agree. >> i completely agree, jason howell represents graves countyd of mine and my seatmate in the state senate chamber. i don't know for some folks that they'll ever recover, certainly not emotionally or psychologically. homes and buildings can be rebuilt in time, but this is the kind of thing that lasts with the community and with the family for a long time, and the amount of destruction is going to take a while. >> yes. >> this footage, which so many of us really, your footage helped to paint some of those early pictures, i know you told our colleague you were working with authorities. how important have those, these initial pictures that you were able to get, how important have they been on the ground to the efforts there? >> i think they've been important for the world at large to see what kind of damage has been done. we hear about natural disasters and things, but until you can see just the scope and the extent of damage, it's hard for people to understand why it's important to get involved, and so to the extent that people have been able to s

just the damage all over mayfield and greater graves county was breathtaking and continues to stun. even as i look down hours later. i didn't appreciate just how much damage there was until the drone got in the air and you can see. in fact, when you get up high enough, you can see the path. as i've said to others, there are just entire swaths of mayfield that just aren't there anymore at all. buildings flattened. and destroyed completely. it just, you described it well. a gut punch. >> have you documented storm damage before? was there something about this moment that stood out to you when you started seeing what your drone was picking up? >> well, i wanted to see the, to observe for myself, the extent of the damage. i spent part of last night in a basement as well in north christian county along with everybody else in west kentucky wondering whether or not our place was going to be the place that got a tornado. but once the system cleared, i wanted to hit the road and get to mayfield where i had heard most of the damage had been, but even then, we've heard of damage all over from b

we actually have a tunnel there, the only tunnel there in graves county.safest place to be. then we heard the weather getting worse and we could hear something that was very not no normal. power was out and we took cover, and then the tunnel started shifting and shaking and it started filling with debris. we got against the wall and i leaned on my family to hopefully protect him and the youth pastor was laying on his family. >> you were literally laying on them with your body? >> i was covering my wife and my wife was covering my two sons. >> i'm sure there was a time when your wife thought you weren't going to make it. >> if she was here now, she would tell me there were definitely moments. we were telling our kids, everything is going to be fine. in our minds we're thinking we're not sure we're going to make it out of this. >> you weren't even sure. >> it was a very difficult moment, there's no doubt. >> how long did that last, the worst part? how long did it -- >> i think it lasted probably 30 seconds to a minute. but felt like a lot longer. >> isn't it

chief executive graves county, kentucky. thank you, judge. we apologize for the conditions of that call, but obviously because of the conditions that they are going through that happens. we are blessed, he says. "media buzz"'s b1 we definitely pray for everyone affected by this, at least 70 people confirmed the dead in after the monstrous tornado tore a 200-mile path of destruction through the state. it was some 70 miles northeast of mayfield's dawson springs kentucky where box whether multimedia journalist robert ray is standing by live. robert, i can see there's just destruction all around you. reporter: good afternoon. it's undeniable, 360 degrees destruction here in this little town. i'm sandwiched between two neighborhoods. you see the trees behind me totally destroyed. those were the woods and then there's a neighborhood behind the camera and another neighborhood there. now, where i'm standing in the woods that separate the two neighborhoods is just a debris. people's pillowcases right here. you see the vehicle completely destroyed behi

and for those that have seen it, what it's done here in graves county and elsewhere, it is indescribable i can say to you all at this time what

counties off. it is for caldwell, full ton, graves, hopkins, marshall, mullen berg, taylor and warren counties.ork with the state on identifying other counties to get them added on. what this means is that there is assistance for individuals, for homeowners, for renters. they need to apply for fema assistance. the administrator did say yesterday the first line of defense is insurance. make sure if you have insurance that is -- you've already called them. but we also encourage everyone to apply for fema assistance. and that comes in various ways. and i know we've given the slide to the governor's office so we'll make sure that gets out there and to the media. you can go to -- you can apply online at disaster assistance.gov. one word disaster assistance.gov or call 1-800-621-fema. 3362. >> bill: a lot of information there really coming out on this monday morning. if you are looking for good news, i would point to the 94 people accounted for at the candle factory that held quite a bit of drama for human life. the bad news 64 confirmed dead, 105 unaccounted for. however, in that mix of people, when

>> mayfield and graves county will be ground zero for the commonwealth.ive devastation in that city. we'll be on the way there in several hours after daybreak. >> and sir, i'm wondering if you've had any contact yet with the federal government, if there have been any communications, perhaps with the white house, any offers of assistance? >> absolutely. fema region four is our oversight for federal assistance. we have reached out to them. the governor has signed a letter requesting immediate assistance from fema. and that's making its way through the chain and we'll get a response hopefully some time today. >> and i understand that as you noted there are search and rescue efforts under way right now. what is your message to folks that are feeling desperate, that are perhaps trying to get in touch with loved ones or trying to comb their neighborhoods to figure out where their loved ones might be. what do you say to them? >> you know, it's heart breaking. it's an extremely difficult time. we're not the only state in this event. this will turn out to be a qua

folks in graves county, kentucky, are coming together as they begin the process of picking up the pieces there, too. one community trying to provide help to its neighbors is fancy farm. joining me now is one of the leaders behind that effort, janet throg martin is now with fancy farm. thank you for being with me this morning. take me through the day-to-day at the elementary school these days. what does it look like? >> we were supposed to have school this week. this was our last week before christmas break. and friday night, after this came through saturday, we came here because we still had power and water. and determined that people would need a place to go to charge phones, to be able to take a hot shower, because we do have some showers here available, and then we started collecting supplies. the church here, st. jerome parish here in our town was able to house some families, at their parish hall. so that way we could provide shelter for people. we've been cooking hot meals. but a lot of just reaching out to families, in our school and in our school district, that we move had been af

vigilance as the conditions that made was the damage is significant and we expect multiple fatalities graves, county and specifically the city of mayfield have been hit really hard and we are still awaiting more reports of the surrounding area. is going to be some of the worst tornado damage that we've seen in a long time. if you are in the area, there are still active cells and severe weather. so stay safe. hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes off to heavy flooding in the french pyrenees region. residents in the south, west of france, being us to stay at home as flood waters continue to rise many areas and now on red alert up next it's portal. after that, i've got the news i for you. i'll see you then the war in afghanistan. will non taliban figures make up a part of that in there? you can only forward within the caliber. there will be an inside story packet. a frank assessment of the div headlines subscribe. now however you listen to podcast. ah mm. welcome to portal. i'm sandra. gotten back with more great content from the digital side of al jazeera. that's our website, social

we lost a 3-year-old in graves county, too, and i think we lost a 5-year-old in nullenburg county.tornado didn't discriminate anybody in its path. it is like nothing we've ever seen before. >> brennan: i know the country's heart goes out to you. is there anything people listening at home can do to help the people of kentucky. >> governor: we'll continue to get every prayer we can get. we're hoping for a miracle. this is day two of trying to find people. we have set up a fund specifically connected to the state that will go solely to the families in western kentucky. teamrelieffund.ky.gov. i want to thank the entire country. you have been there with us. we appreciate the love and the support. we're tough people. we're going to get through it, but it is not going to be easy. i'm still emotional after a couple of days, just learning that my uncle lost a couple of cousins. but we're going to make it. we're going to see the other side, and we're going to rebuild. brermd >> brennan: i know you well, and i know the country will be pulling for you, and my condolences to your family as well

also school facilities, both with the mayfield school district and the county school district, graves county turned into these resource hubs. they've turned into places where people can get hot meals and showers. and, you know, of course, school districts in small towns have always been central the community, andven more so. you know, a lot of the reporting i've done has been with these school officials who know their community and know their community well, and know what the needs of their community are, especially during a crisis like this. so, you know, scol facilities, physical buildings and schools and school staff have become paramount during this time. >> sreenivasan: you even profiled a coach who basically went out and looked for his players. >> he basically-- i rode along with him for most of the day earlier this week, and he deals with students who are having trouble in the classroom or having behavioral issues or just need some more support outside of the classroom. and he works with about 50 or 60 students, builds relationships with these students out in the community. and as we'

hopefully find them safe in graves county was that the hopefully find them safe in graves county was ologist ben rich explains for us. warm, moist air from the gulf of mexico _ warm, moist air from the gulf of mexico clashes with cold air digging down from the north, and that spawns ijil, down from the north, and that spawns big, violent _ down from the north, and that spawns big, violent thunderstorms, called super— big, violent thunderstorms, called super cells. given the right wind conditions. _ super cells. given the right wind conditions, the air inside these vicious — conditions, the air inside these vicious storms can start to spin, and if— vicious storms can start to spin, and if that— vicious storms can start to spin, and if that swirling air gets right to the _ and if that swirling air gets right to the ground and touches down, well, _ to the ground and touches down, well, that— to the ground and touches down, well, that a tornado, which can then move _ well, that a tornado, which can then move unpredictably across the landscape, wreaking havoc. scientists are confident clim

they also had some prisoners working there from the graves county jail.tell you those prisoners was working their tails off to get us out, they were helping. they could have used that moment to try to run away or anything. they did not. they were there, they was helping us. once they got one person out, it was like we all just kind of fell on -- we were able to get the debris under us to move around and were able to get out -- i was -- i -- the water fountain and the air conditioning unit behind it was in between my legs so i have bruises on my legs and things. but i was able to -- and with the help of the -- the firemen, i was able to shift my body in a way. we couldn't move it. but i was able to shift my body in a way we were able to get out. >> as we understand it, this is also your birthday. a heck of a way to have a birthday. we're glad that you're safe and okay, and thank you for spending time with us. >> thank you. >> we appreciate your time very much. >> thank you for that. >>> as we continue to track this ongoing story, somara is back with anothe

being used as a primary shelter as well as an additional place where you can get medical help in graves county. and i know that shelters are being is set up in other counties. of course, we are really good people in kentucky. most judges, county judges that i've talked to say that kinfolk have brought in most of those people. fulton county hit really hard. most everybody who has been displaced through the night is already staying with family. okay. wdrb. all right. well, we'll make sure they get that question answered if they send it to us. a really tough night. i'm on about two hours of sleep, admittedly can get through family that i have in this area. i know there are a lot of other people that are going through the same thing. it's going to be all right. it's going to be hard. and there is a lot of loss. just like everything else we've been up against, we'll make it through this too. thank you all very much. >> all right. we were listening to kentucky governor andy brashear, outlining just how bad the storm was. the governor said the death toll is likely to reach as high as 70 to 100 people

vigilance as conditions may get worse, the damage is significant and we expect multiple fatalities. graves, county and specifically the city of mayfield have been hit really hard and we are still awaiting more reports of the surrounding area. is going to be some of the worst tornado damage that we've seen in a long time. if you are in the area, there are still active cells and severe weather sto, stay safe. hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes after heavy flooding and the french pyrenees. residents in the south, west of france, managed to stay at home as the flood waters continue to rise. many areas are on red, alert as prolong. greenfield in the region takes its toll. the philippine says it's seriously concerned by allegations that is one of several countries being spied on by china, astro miller elling doggone reports. now from manila, the chinese are denying research by us group of an espionage campaign against countries involved in the disputes over fishing and mineral rights. this south china seas territorial dispute is seen as the next security flash point in asia bay jean

and we were able to tour graves, county, and marshall county, as well as visit the candle factory. and as you heard the governor say, i me, myself and the rest of the nation. we've been watching this. we've been seeing the pictures of this. but standing there, standing in these communities, you don't get that feeling from a picture when you stand in one direction and look and see all the devastations and then just turn to your right and all of the devastation around you. you can't understand how this has impacted these communities until you're there, which is why it's so important to be here to see it for myself. so we can make sure that we're providing the right level of assistance to help with your response and your ongoing recovering. we had the opportunity just a few moments ago to hear from the county executives and were the governor brought them together to hear the impacts that they're having and some of their shortfalls . the things that we heard our housing, you've heard that before, that housing is going to be a tremendous need as we continue to go forward power, water, f

the damage is significant and we expect multiple fatalities graves, county and specifically the city of mayfield have been hit really hard and we are still awaiting more reports of the surrounding area. this is going to be some of the worst tornado damage that we've seen in a long time. if you are in the area, there are still active cells in severe weather, so stay safe. now hundreds of people have been evacuated from their harms off to heavy flooding in the french pyrenees. region. residents and southwest france are being urged to stay at home is flood waters continue to rise. many areas now on red alert as prolonged rainfall in the region takes its toll will check the world whether next and then an economic lifeline reopened to the u. s. now allows family members to send desperately needed cash back to afghanistan. in a showcase of caribbean, british arts gives the community a chance to tell a story and to celebrate its culture. ah look forward to brighter scully's, the winter sponsored play cattle airways. hello, greg, to see you. here's your weather report for asia 1st map, i put

the people of america, there is no lens big enough to show you the extent of the damage here in graves countyaffected towns is mayfield. eight people were confirmed to have died at a candle factory, destroyed with more than 100 employees inside. and, at an amazon factory in neighbouring illinois, at least six employees are reported to have lost their lives. president biden has declared a major federal disaster in this state. he says he will ask the environmental protection agency to look into whether climate change played a role in the storms. it's going to be a long process to repair this damage, caused in such a short space of time. lebo diseko, bbc news. our north america correspondent nomia iqbal is in kentucky for us. what is the latest there? yes, well, the rescue operation _ what is the latest there? yes, well, the rescue operation in _ what is the latest there? yes, well, the rescue operation in that - what is the latest there? yes, well, the rescue operation in that candle l the rescue operation in that candle factory will resume later this morning. but i have to say, you have seen t

i talked to first responders and other officials in graves county, muhlenberg county, it's really badeen up long in that part of kentucky. and the primary focus last night throughout the night and early this morning were in the towns, in the cities. now, we're going out and seeing the damage in the rural areas and homes that were completely destroyed. and just trying to account for all of the missing people right now. the first responders have been at it all night. done a tremendous job. it's just something you can't imagine happening. >> yeah. those first responders do incredible work. in fact, congressman, in the last hour, we heard from a storm chaser who is there at the candle factory on the scene. and he shared with us that he watched as some rescuers were able to pull survivors out of that rubble. so there is hope that more will be found. i'm curious, because mayfield, as i understand, is a town of less than 10,000 people. and i imagine that this factory must have been a huge part of that community, a big employer in that town. can you tell us about the workers there? the signif

we were able to tour graves county and marshall county as well as visit the candle factory, and as you heard the governor say, me, myself and the rest of the nation we have been watching this and seeing the pictures of this, but standing there, standing in these communities, you don't get that feeling from a picture. when you stand in one direction and look and see all of the devastation, and then just turn to your right and all of the devastation around you, you can't understand how this has impacted these communities until you are there, which is why it's so important to be here and see it for myself so we can make sure that we are providing the right level of assistance to help with your response and your ongoing recovery. we had the opportunity just a few moments ago to hear from the county executives where the governor brought them together to hear the impacts they are having and some of their short falls. you have heard before that housing will be a tremendous need as we continue to go forward. power, water, fuel, all of these things to help the community start their rebuilding p

we don't want to brag on the farming community here in graves county they stepped up.ade. ryan you, in terms of the food supply chain, between hatcheries, the chicken keeps coops.what could you tell us han damaged that worries you the most. >> well, obviously we want to make sure that we keep people fed. that's been a big initiative of our office since saturday morning physical donations down to western ken and really the storm hit everything from the mississippi river to just south of louisville we are meafing schuyler we utilize the lunch program, our food banks, one of which was completely destroyed here in mayfield but on the supply side, there is a hatchery right here in mayfield 200 farmers in the region. we are already hit with supply chain issues increased costs of input, inflation, et cetera. now we are going to have at least six to 8 month delay when it comes to the driving poultry industry in western kentucky. we have a granary right here in mayfield that has 5.5 million bushels of grain sitting on sites. they are not even sure how to unload that grain and g

roberts who road out the tornado in the graves county jail and he told me what that was like. >> biggestsee the edge of it. all we saw was the front leaning edge on the lefthand side of it. we couldn't see down this way. and it lit up when it hit the substation like a blueish green, and that's when we really saw the, that edge of it, and it was, it looked very violent, from the split second we saw. just -- >> reporter: and you ran back inside, then when it hit the jail, what was that like? >> there was, there was a section. you could feel it in your ears, in your joints, and it was loud. you could hear pieces of the courthouse, debris, hitting the jail from, on the roof. then, all of a sudden, everything was done. >> reporter: what was going through your mind in that quick, few seconds that it came through? >> really, my main concern was making sure the other deputies and the inmates were safe so nothing really was going in my mind except for that and getting people under their bunks and getting the deputies inside one of our vestibule areas. >> reporter: last question, i know you lost a

he's also with former governor steve beshear, and jessie perry, he's a graves county judge, we're ind to wrap your head around. this is after several days of trying to cleanup. we have seen around every corner here, dump trucks, excavators, construction equipment, trying to demolish all of the buildings here in downtown mayfield to clear the streets, to try to begin the rebuilding process. the president has vowed over the last several days that whatever kentucky and the five other states impacted by these tornadoes whatever they need, they will get. he mentioned that that doesn't just mean immediately hat that they will get them food, clothing and shelter and think about it. some people lost their homes, think ev no clothes so they are relying on the goodwill of strangers, community groups, churches, for those types of things, they are also relying on whatever the federal government can do in the short-term, but the president has also vowed long term, whatever comes up that they might not even know of right now, that they will be able to provide that as well. listen. >> there's a lot

two deputies in graves county, kentucky, were inside their cars during the tornado. and took off to the house. >> so much adrenaline going. you go back to your training. that's just what we do. >> just muscle memory. just what i knew had to be done. >> it's what happened to be done. you can see the damage to their patrol car that shows the danger they were facing. >> dawson springs, kentucky, an elderly couple lost their home. they shared this home for 60 years but they're alive thanks to some people who found them and saved them. >> i had a light with me. i flashed the light. somebody saw the light and came over. two nice young men and one of them took their coat off and gave it to my wife. they said they'll come back in about two hours. they came back with help. >> and then there's jim finch who drove half an hour from paducah, kentucky, with a grill and a truckload of food and parked right in the middle of mayfield. he said, quote, it just needed to be done. professional food truckers from louisville are also showing up. >> i don't have the money sitting there to

the people of america, there is no lens big enough to show you the extent of the damage here in graves county nor kentucky. >> dozens have been confirmed dead across five states. at least two young children are among those victims. tens of thousands of people across kentucky and tennessee are also still without power right now. meanwhile, in illinois, a search and recovery effort is still under way at an amazon warehouse. that's where six people were killed as a tornado hit that facility. local authorities confirm at least 45 people managed to escape. two storm-related deaths have been reported in arkansas. one of the victims there has been identified as a male nursing home resident in his 80s. president biden vowed to help any of the states affected by those tornadoes. fema is on the ground in arkansas, illinois, kentucky, missouri, mississippi and tennessee. he's saying they'll provide federal guidance and assess the damage. meanwhile, more politics nation with rev rnd al sharpton coming up right after this break. before discovering nexium 24hr to treat her frequent heartburn... claire coul

and with me now is tyler goodwin, county commissioner here in graves county which represents the mayfield area. commissioner, thank you for being with me. it's such a difficult time. i just -- just the level of devastation, commissioner, how do you process that? >> i don't think you can right now. i think it takes time. you know, the initial reaction was disbelief. you know, we knew the hurricane -- hurricane? we knew the tornado was coming through. we were able to be prepared, but when you see it, see the damage, see the people that have been displaced and lives lost, i don't think you can process it. >> so where -- i mean, just tell us where we are. because this is just mountains and mountains and mountains of debris, but this was offices and restaurants and people's places of work and of worship. >> sure, yeah. you've got buildings that have been here over a hundred years, and they've withstood storms and time and everything else. what was this right here? >> this was an office building. this housed a customer service. >> show me a little bit around here. and commissioner, so mayfield

that candle factory as soon as the tornadoes passed, i also talked with a commissioner here in graves county, who lives about 10 miles away in the next town over. he came in while there was still thunder and lightning to try to help get people out of that building. he was able to get , he said, between a dozen to maybe 25 people out of that building. various levels of injuries but amazingly, he says, they were alive. listen. >> it was just amazing that they were still alive like they were. we had some injuries, back issues and broken ankles and different things, but it was just really amazing they were still alive. >> i can 100% guarantee that our company is not going anywhere. we will be, we are going to be here, back quickly, as quickly as possible. reporter: so that's the ceo there of the mayfield candle factory saying they're going to rebuild. it's one of the largest employer s in this area, liz. obviously, it's hard to even imagine how do you rebuild from all of this and that's what i've been asking people here today, as they comb through all of the debris and look for tokens of family