By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
At least 19 people have died due to the severe weather that traversed through Kentucky this past weekend, according to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
On May 16, in anticipation of severe weather, Beshear declared a state of emergency. Initially Beshear reported 18 deaths, 17 of which were in Laurel County where a tornado touched down, according to Beshear and the Laurel County Fiscal Court, and one in Pulaski County. Last night, May 18, Beshear took to his social media account to report a woman in Russell County had died; bringing the total confirmed to 19.
“Please join Britainy and me in praying for the families who are hurting right now,” Beshear wrote on social media.
He also reported that ten people are at the University of Kentucky hospital being treated for their injuries. Three of those remain in critical condition, four have been upgraded to “fair” and three to “good” condition.
The governor encouraged people to donate to the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund, which will help pay for funeral expenses and “those impacted by severe weather systems.”
Barren County Emergency Management Garland Gilliam said Barren County was spared the worst of it as there were only reports of trees over roads and power outages during the severe weather but no reported county deaths. He added that four of the county’s 28 tornado sirens didn’t activate during the time the county was under a tornado warning.
“We still have not found the interference [frequency] so we are actually applying for a new frequency license,” Gilliam said. “We are going through the coordination step now…hopefully within the next two weeks we will have the new license and will reprogram all 28 sirens and the repeater.”
This article will be updated with new information as it becomes available.
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