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Kentucky state officials say impact of Tuesday storms include at least seven tornadoes, one fatality

Storm clouds moving into Richmond, KY
Stan Ingold
Storm clouds moving into Richmond, KY

State officials revealed the known impact of the severe storms across Kentucky during a Wednesday briefing.

At least seven tornadoes are expected to have touched down statewide, including in Anderson, Nelson, Jessamine and Bourbon counties, as well as in the city of Prospect.

Straight line winds have also affected Mercer, Spencer and Woodford counties.

Only one fatality has been reported across the Commonwealth as a result of a car accident in Campbell County. There are zero reported major injuries. Gov. Andy Beshear credited that low incident rate to the preparedness of Kentuckians during the briefing.

“We didn't have as many people out in the first storm because people were paying attention,” Beshear said. “We did lose that one life, but in the second round where we saw those tornadoes, right now, we don't have a single confirmed fatality from the second part.”

In the meantime, state officials say they want individuals to document any damages by sending photos to county emergency management officials.

Interim emergency management director Dustin Heiser says those photos will help the state apply for federal individual assistance money from FEMA.

“Documenting damages helps assess the extent of the disaster,” Heiser said. “This also expedites the process of resources and will aid in your insurance claim process.”

There are around 15,000 households with power outages statewide as of the briefing, down from more than 32,000 Tuesday. Cell phone service across the state is mostly restored after a storm brought down power lines near Interstates 75 and 64.

Another update is expected from the Beshear administration Thursday.

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Shepherd joined WEKU in June 2023 as a staff reporter. He most recently worked for West Virginia Public Broadcasting as General Assignment Reporter. In that role, he collected interviews and captured photos in the northern region of West Virginia. Shepherd holds a master’s degree in Digital Marketing Communication and a bachelor’s in music from West Virginia University.
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