tornado

Kentucky’s Office of the Auditor of Public Accounts announced Thursday it will conduct a “special examination” of the Public Protection Cabinet’s oversight of the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief and Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Funds.

The relief funds, established by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, allow the state to take donations from private entities to distribute to those impacted by the natural disasters.

Mayfield Mayor Kathy O’Nan is being recognized for her contributions as a public official and Sandra Delk for her contributions as a volunteer.

Under the terms of the program, 80% of the funds will go to the four counties most impacted by those two 2021 natural disasters: Graves, Warren, Hopkins and Breathitt. The remaining 20% of the funding will be split between 36 counties to aid recovery efforts for both disasters.

After the 2021 tornadoes nearly shuttered the business for good, owner Rian Barefoot said he's "happy to be open."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is continuing its efforts to help Kentucky recover from the historic and deadly western Kentucky tornado outbreak over a year after the disaster.

One year after a record tornado, some Bowling Green residents still aren’t home for the holidays. From emergency shelters and hotels to travel trailers and temporary apartments, most have improved their housing situation somewhat, but many still lack a permanent place to call home.

The museum, dedicated to telling the history of African-Americans in Bowling Green, was nearly lost due to an electrical fire only weeks after a deadly tornado devastated the area.

One of those communities was the far western Kentucky city of Mayfield. An EF-4 tornado careened through the Graves County seat, badly damaging the community’s historic downtown, damaging or destroying thousands of homes and bringing down the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory, trapping more than 90 people inside.

Hundreds of businesses throughout western and central Kentucky were damaged or destroyed in last December’s tornado outbreak. The 12 months since the storm have brought supply chain issues, insurance delays, and a groundswell of community support.