At least 18 dead in Kentucky tornadoes. What we know as cleanup, storm surveys continue
More than a dozen people are dead in southeastern Kentucky from strong tornadoes May 16 and 17, state and local officials said.
Heavy damage was reported in Pulaski and Laurel counties, where Laurel County Sheriff John Root said a tornado tore through the area just before midnight.
Previous coverage: At least 18 killed, others injured in storms in Kentucky
Here is what we know about tornado and storm damages throughout Kentucky.
At least 18 people have died from tornadoes in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said during a press conference May 17.
Earlier that day, London Mayor Randall Weddle said 23 people had died in Laurel County alone, citing information from the Laurel County Communications Center.
More: Beshear: At least 18 killed, 10 in critical condition after tornado hits Kentucky
Beshear said "there are other figures out there" for the death toll, but the state must follow an official process through the Department for Public Health.
"So there may be more," he said.
Beshear added at least 10 people are in critical condition, and others are still receiving medical care.
"This was a devastatingly strong tornado that tore through a subdivision in the middle of the night, and that is the worst type of natural disaster," Beshear said.
Of the 18 deaths reported by Beshear, 17 were in Laurel County and one was in Pulaski County.
In a Facebook post, the Laurel County Fire Department shared Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman died after he was injured while responding to the reported tornado.
Beshear said the 18 victims were:
A woman in Pulaski County, age unknown
Two men in Laurel County, age unknown
A 76-year-old man in Laurel County
A 74-year-old woman in Laurel County
A 73-year-old man in Laurel County
Two 72-year-old women in Laurel County
A 71-year-old man in Laurel County
A 69-year-old woman in Laurel County
A 68-year-old woman in Laurel County
Two 67-year-old women in Laurel County
A 65-year-old woman in Laurel County
A 63-year-old woman in Laurel County
A 51-year-old woman in Laurel County
A 48-year-old woman in Laurel County
A 25-year-old man in Laurel County
An EF-3 tornado with maximum wind gusts of 155 mph was determined from a preliminary survey of a May 16 storm in Morganfield, officials with the National Weather Service in Paducah stated in a Facebook post May 17. Additional surveys were planned for May 18.
State officials have reported other tornadoes in Laurel and Pulaski counties, with Beshear saying the tornado that struck Somerset in Pulaski was at least an EF-3.
No life-threatening injuries have been reported in Louisville, Mayor Craig Greenberg stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Tree damages were reported throughout the city, and at least four people were injured when a tree fell on their house.
About 12,500 LG&E and KU customers were without power just after 9 a.m. May 18, according to the company's online tracker, down from the over 45,000 outages reported the morning of May 17.
Laurel and Pulaski counties are in southeastern Kentucky. The counties share a border with each other and both include parts of the the sprawling Daniel Boone National Forest.
Over 62,000 people lived in Laurel County during the latest census in 2020, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Pulaski County's population was over 65,000.
London is the county seat of Laurel County, while Somerset is the seat of Pulaski County.
Stephanie Kuzydym, Hannah Pinski and Bailey Loosemore contributed reporting.
Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@gannett.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky tornadoes: What we know about deaths, tornado rating, damages
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