JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Multiple states in the South and Midwest are working to recover from massive damage and destruction following a series of monster tornadoes that ravaged parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, and Missouri — with communities in western Kentucky hit exceptionally hard.
A Baker County woman, Carolyn Curry, said her house in Kentucky stands today only through the grace of God.
She and her family members own property in Kentucky. Though Curry now lives in Macclenny, her mother-in-law and other close relatives live in Oak Grove, Kentucky.
Oak Grove is about an hour and a half away from Mayfield, Kentucky, the place where officials said saw the most destruction.
Oak Grove was mostly spared from severe damage to buildings and infrastructure, but the landscape around her family’s home looks like it was plucked clean.
Curry says the 200 acres of woods near her house – is gone.
Curry said the worst storms missed her house and more importantly, her family, by about 100 yards.
“That to me means the Lord had his hands on it and holding it down,” she said.
Curry did not know if her family survived the storms until late Saturday night when power was restored.
“I sat here and cried all day long and prayed for the people because it’s awful, it’s terrible. My heart just breaks for them. It can happen to anyone of us and it’s just overwhelming to look at the damage that it caused,” Curry said.
75-year-old Carolyn Curry told News4JAX she wishes she could go to Kentucky and help.
She said she plans to donate to groups looking to send food and supplies to both Kentucky and the other states impacted by these storms.
Federal and state teams have been deployed and began recovery work as early as Friday night, but volunteers, supplies, and donations are still needed. State officials say it’s the most devasting event in Kentucky’s history.
“I believe this will ultimately be the longest tornado in certainly U.S. history from the point where it touched down to when it finally picked back up over 220 miles, 200 of them are in my state, with our people that have suffered from it. It was joined by at least three other tornadoes here in Kentucky. I think we now believe may be many, many more,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said.
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