National Guard Helps Areas Devastated by Tornadoes
National Guard Helps Areas Devastated by Tornadoes
National Guard troops in Kentucky have been going from door to door in tornado-damaged areas over the weekend.
“The damage is devastating,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at a press conference Dec. 12. His state appears to have been the hardest hit by a string of tornados that tore through several states on Dec. 10. “There is no lens big enough to tell you the extent of the damage.”
“I believe this will ultimately be the longest tornado in U.S. history,” Beshear said, referring to a tornado that covered more than 220 miles, devastating more than 200 miles of Kentucky. Tornadoes were also reported in Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee, where National Guard units were also activated, according to news reports.
In Kentucky, activated National Guard members are “going door to door, but many of these communities don’t have doors anymore,” Beshear said. “They are going rubble to rubble searching, hopefully for survivors.”
Troops are also aiding with debris removal and are out in a law enforcement capacity, he said.