The tornado outbreak last weekend was the worst in a decade and has left Kentucky with a long road to recovery. To make matters worse, more storms struck again over the last few days.
The deadly weather has brought dangerous tornadoes to the Midwest and Plains states which experts say is rare for December. The latest round of storms killed five more people and left a path of destruction across the region and more than 400,000 power outages.
The ongoing bad weather came as many people are still working on disaster relief after that shattering spate of deadly tornadoes. At least 90 people were killed across five states including 75 in Kentucky, six in Illinois, four in Tennessee, two in Arkansas and two in Missouri. Victims have ranged in ages from 2-months-old to 98.
Huda Alubahi's 3-year-old son was killed when their home collapsed on top of them. She had been holding onto him and her 1-year-old as they took refuge in the bathroom. "I had them both in my arms, I never let them go," she said. "That's how we were found."
Kentucky which was the hardest-hit state has a long road to recovery. "The devastation is still, I don't know if the right word is profound, traumatic, painful," said Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY). "We here in Kentucky have felt the love and support of the entire country and of the entire world."
"There's a ton of work that needs to be done," said Chris Chiles, coordinator of God's Pit Crew. "I've been doing this for 14 years all over the country, and it's hard to get much worse than this."
CLICK HERE to donate to Operation Blessing's tornado relief efforts happening now.
These are scenes of the damage in Dawson Springs, #Kentucky, after a series of deadly #tornadoes struck there and surrounding areas just days ago. OB is there to help, with supplies like diapers, water, food and Home Depot Cleanup Kits. Send support here: https://t.co/cpA2fAQpEd pic.twitter.com/f7JxG0QfiD
— Operation Blessing (@operationbless) December 17, 2021
CBN's Operation Blessing is in Kentucky and Tennessee providing much needed aid and support, working with church partners to deliver food, water, and other necessities.
"They'll be receiving those supplies of food, Home Depot buckets that are filled with cleaning supplies and other things that will assist the people of this community to begin the process of recovery," said Toby Swager, the deployment manager for Operation Blessing U.S. Disaster Relief's National Reserve Staff.
Operation Blessing teams are preparing to stay for the long haul as residents work to rebuild their communities and their lives.
"It's our plan over the next weeks to continue to search for those who may have been forgotten, may have been overlooked so that they don't feel like they're unimportant," said Swager.
With the devastation so widespread, Operation Blessing is working to bring more help to the region in the days ahead.
CLICK HERE to donate to Operation Blessing's tornado relief efforts happening now.
Many residents like Denna in Dawson Springs, #Kentucky, lost everything after #tornadoes recently devastated the area. Her home was completely destroyed – even the cinderblock foundation. But in the midst of tragedy, partners like you are bringing #hope. https://t.co/cpA2fAQpEd pic.twitter.com/PN7LZxwmEn
— Operation Blessing (@operationbless) December 16, 2021
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