Tornadoes ripped through four states last night, including a massive F4 or F5 that rent a 300 mile-long path of carnage from Jonesboro, Arkansas to almost Louisville, leaving scores dead in its wake.
Storms unleashed devastating tornadoes late Friday and early Saturday across parts of the central and southern US including Kentucky, where the governor says the death toll will exceed 50 after "one of the toughest nights in Kentucky history."
More than 30 tornadoes have been reported in at least six states. A stretch of more than 200 miles from Arkansas to Kentucky might have been hit by one violent, long-track twister, CNN meteorologists say.
Among the most significant damage: Tornadoes or strong winds collapsed an occupied candle factory in Kentucky, an Amazon warehouse in western Illinois, and a nursing home in Arkansas, killing people at each site and leaving responders scrambling to rescue others.
The extent of destruction will not be known fully for hours, but video emerging from those three states alone -- flattened buildings, overturned vehicles and workers scouring rubble for trapped people -- speak of breathtaking damage in some areas.
"We believe our death toll from this event will exceed 50 Kentuckians, probably end up closer to 70 to 100 lost lives," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at a briefing Saturday morning.
"This will be one of the most significant, the most extensive disasters that Kentucky has faced," Kentucky emergency management director Michael Dossett said, adding this was "one of the darkest days in the state's history."
Tornadoes also have been reported in parts of Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi.
One of the most devastated sites is the southwestern Kentucky city of Mayfield, where a tornado hit a candle factory Friday night while about 110 people were inside, Beshear said.
"We believe we'll lose at least dozens of those individuals," the governor said.
Video from Mayfield showed what remained of the factory: a massive debris field, largely of twisted metal, several feet high.
First responders have pulled "many, many" people out of the rubble, some alive and some apparently dead, storm chaser Michael Gordon told CNN Saturday morning from the scene.
"It's kind of hard to talk about. ... They're digging in that rubble by hand right now," Gordon said.
I'm glad I don't have to worry about Trump cutting Kentucky off because he's mad at Andy Beshear Mitch McConnell or something. I know President Biden will help make the state whole again, but it was a bad night that none of us will forget anytime soon.
Just remember, more nights like this are coming in the years ahead thanks to climate change.
A lot more.
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