Kentucky tornado photos: Blocks flattened, historic sites destroyed as twisters rip through Mayfield

The extent of the damage by the tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky (Image via Brandon Clement/WXChasing/ Twitter)

On late December 3 and early December 4, multiple tornadoes struck the central and southern United States, wreaking havoc in states like Kentucky, Illinois, and Arkansas. Officials have announced that in Kentucky alone, the death toll has crossed 80 in almost two days.

Kentucky governor Andy Beshear addressed the devastation caused by the tornadoes in a press briefing on Saturday morning. He said,

"I'm pretty sure that number (killed in Kentucky) is north of 70 ... it may, in fact, exceed 100 before the day is done. The level of devastation is unlike anything I have ever seen."

Most of the damage was concentrated in the small western-Kentucky town called Mayfield, populated by around 10,000 people. The damages included Mayfield's 19th-century courthouses, blocks, residential houses, and the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory.

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What is the extent of the damage in the Kentucky Tornado in Mayfield?

Roofs of multiple buildings of both commercial and residential nature were destroyed. The town's ancient and historic courthouse had its clock tower disintegrated by the tornado, which had its speed pegged at around 150 mph at a time by the National Weather Service in Louisville.

The Emmanuel Baptist Church also lost its roof, causing multiple other damages to the religious haven.

The worst-hit site was the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory, whose roof was destroyed by the tornado. Around 110 employees working at the factory were trapped in the structure, of which around 40 were rescued on Saturday.

According to CNN, almost 40 victims remained unaccounted for as of Saturday evening.

Andy Beshear emotionally stated in his press briefing,

"We're going to lose a lot of lives at that facility. I pray that there will be another rescue, another one or two, but it's a very dire situation at this point."

As per a CNN report, the factory had been functioning 24/7 to meet the demands of the holidays. This means that the factory might have had close to the total capacity of on-site workers that day. Further information regarding the rescue operations has not yet been updated.

Similarly, on Friday, December 10, an Amazon warehouse near St. Louis collapsed, killing at least two people and entrapping around 50 inside the debris. A medical facility in Arkansas called the Monette Manor nursing home had its roof blown apart, killing one of the medical graduates. The tornado killed almost five people in Monette.