Latest news with #JamesSexton
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
6 Kentucky counties hit by tornadoes, storms are approved for federal aid. More could be added.
James Sexton pauses in what's left of his house in the Sunset Hills neighborhood of London, May 18, 2025. A tornado struck the area just after midnight the day before. (Photo by) Federal assistance is now available to individuals in six Kentucky counties affected by recent tornadoes and severe weather, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Friday night. President Donald Trump signed an order making federal funding available to affected individuals in Caldwell, Laurel, Pulaski, Russell, Trigg and Union counties. Additional counties may become eligible for aid if warranted by damage assessments, FEMA said in a news release. Nineteen people died in Kentucky as a result of tornadoes, storms and straight-line winds May 16-17. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who had asked Trump for an expedited disaster declaration, thanked the president and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a post on social media. 'Remember, this process takes time and we will add more counties to our request as damage assessments are completed,' Beshear said. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster, the FEMA release said. Jeremy Slinker has been named the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas. Slinker formerly was director of Kentucky Emergency Management. Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas should first file claims with their insurance providers and then apply for assistance by registering online at by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA App. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, provide FEMA the number for that service.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
6 Kentucky counties hit by tornadoes, storms are approved for federal aid. More could be added.
James Sexton pauses in what's left of his house in the Sunset Hills neighborhood of London, May 18, 2025. A tornado struck the area just after midnight the day before. (Photo by) Federal assistance is now available to individuals in six Kentucky counties affected by recent tornadoes and severe weather, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Friday night. President Donald Trump signed an order making federal funding available to affected individuals in Caldwell, Laurel, Pulaski, Russell, Trigg and Union counties. Additional counties may become eligible for aid if warranted by damage assessments, FEMA said in a news release. Nineteen people died in Kentucky as a result of tornadoes, storms and straight-line winds May 16-17. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who had asked Trump for an expedited disaster declaration, thanked the president and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a post on social media. 'Remember, this process takes time and we will add more counties to our request as damage assessments are completed,' Beshear said. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster, the FEMA release said. Jeremy Slinker has been named the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas. Slinker formerly was director of Kentucky Emergency Management. Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas should first file claims with their insurance providers and then apply for assistance by registering online at by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA App. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, provide FEMA the number for that service.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
As tornado disrupts region's tourism economy, Beshear asks Trump for expedited disaster declaration
James Sexton pauses while tying to salvage what's left from his house in the Sunset Hills neighborhood of London, May 18, 2025. A tornado struck the area just after midnight the day before. (Photo by) An initial state assessment finds it could cost more than $59 million to clean up more than 1.5 million cubic yards of debris from buildings and vegetation damaged by a tornado that tore through Somerset and London last week. That's according to a letter that Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear sent to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, requesting approval for an expedited major disaster declaration to help recover from storms across the state. The letter noted the damage and 19 deaths were primarily from an EF4 tornado with a maximum wind speed of 170 miles per hour that tore through Pulaski and Laurel counties. The letter also estimated around 1,500 homes have been destroyed or have sustained major damage. 'With just one day of assessments performed, and more assessments to be performed, the results clearly demonstrate severity, impact, and need,' Beshear wrote in his letter. 'Without assistance, it is improbable that recovery will be fully realized.' Beshear's letter mentions the estimate of homes destroyed or with major damage comes from comparing aerial footage with pre-disaster photos and records from county property valuation administrators. 'That number can soar to over 5,000 when all impact levels are considered,' he wrote. The letter also details expected impacts to the region's economy, which Beshear wrote 'will be extensive and long lasting' with 'many businesses severely impacted or destroyed.' 'Laurel and Pulaski counties are situated in an area that relies heavily on tourism. Tourist season is just beginning and the area's lodging inventory will be filled with survivors, curtailing the normal seasonal tourist income. It is likely that many tourists, hearing of this disaster, will opt to vacation elsewhere,' Beshear wrote. The governor also wrote more than 800 people are being sheltered in travel trailers, Airbnbs and motels following the disaster. Nineteen people have died as a result of the storms, almost all in Laurel County. Beshear in his request asked that residents of Laurel, Pulaski and six other counties be made eligible for individual federal disaster assistance, which can provide individuals with money for post-disaster shelter and housing. He asked that 22 counties received public federal disaster assistance, which can help pay for infrastructure repairs. In other areas of the country impacted by last week's storm system, complaints have surfaced about Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials not being present or helping disaster survivors. The mayor of St. Louis complained this week about the absence of on-the-ground help from FEMA after a tornado there damaged thousands of buildings and killed five people. The storm that spurred the EF4 tornado hitting Pulaski and Laurel counties originated hundreds of miles away in Missouri. Beshear, a Democrat, has been critical of other actions and policies taken by the Trump administration. But in a video posted Wednesday to the social media platform X, he said he was 'grateful' for the federal response to natural disasters in Kentucky.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
As tornado disrupts region's tourism economy, Beshear asks Trump for expedited disaster declaration
James Sexton pauses while tying to salvage what's left from his house in the Sunset Hills neighborhood of London, May 18, 2025. A tornado struck the area just after midnight the day before. (Photo by) An initial state assessment finds it could cost more than $59 million to clean up more than 1.5 million cubic yards of debris from buildings and vegetation damaged by a tornado that tore through Somerset and London last week. That's according to a letter that Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear sent to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, requesting approval for an expedited major disaster declaration to help recover from storms across the state. The letter noted the damage and 19 deaths were primarily from an EF4 tornado with a maximum wind speed of 170 miles per hour that tore through Pulaski and Laurel counties. The letter also estimated around 1,500 homes have been destroyed or have sustained major damage. 'With just one day of assessments performed, and more assessments to be performed, the results clearly demonstrate severity, impact, and need,' Beshear wrote in his letter. 'Without assistance, it is improbable that recovery will be fully realized.' Beshear's letter mentions the estimate of homes destroyed or with major damage comes from comparing aerial footage with pre-disaster photos and records from county property valuation administrators. 'That number can soar to over 5,000 when all impact levels are considered,' he wrote. The letter also details expected impacts to the region's economy, which Beshear wrote 'will be extensive and long lasting' with 'many businesses severely impacted or destroyed.' 'Laurel and Pulaski counties are situated in an area that relies heavily on tourism. Tourist season is just beginning and the area's lodging inventory will be filled with survivors, curtailing the normal seasonal tourist income. It is likely that many tourists, hearing of this disaster, will opt to vacation elsewhere,' Beshear wrote. The governor also wrote more than 800 people are being sheltered in travel trailers, Airbnbs and motels following the disaster. Nineteen people have died as a result of the storms, almost all in Laurel County. Beshear in his request asked that residents of Laurel, Pulaski and six other counties be made eligible for individual federal disaster assistance, which can provide individuals with money for post-disaster shelter and housing. He asked that 22 counties received public federal disaster assistance, which can help pay for infrastructure repairs. In other areas of the country impacted by last week's storm system, complaints have surfaced about Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials not being present or helping disaster survivors. The mayor of St. Louis complained this week about the absence of on-the-ground help from FEMA after a tornado there damaged thousands of buildings and killed five people. The storm that spurred the EF4 tornado hitting Pulaski and Laurel counties originated hundreds of miles away in Missouri. Beshear, a Democrat, has been critical of other actions and policies taken by the Trump administration. But in a video posted Wednesday to the social media platform X, he said he was 'grateful' for the federal response to natural disasters in Kentucky.
Toronto Sun
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Toronto Sun
Residents dig out from tornado damage after storms kill 28 in Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia
Published May 18, 2025 • 4 minute read James Sexton (lower right) looks through the debris of his house on May 18, 2025 in the community of Sunshine Hills outside of London, Kentucky. A tornado struck the neighborhood of Sunshine Hills just after midnight on May 17, 2025 in London, Ky. Photo by Michael Swensen / Getty Images LONDON, Ky. — Residents in Kentucky and Missouri sifted through damage in tornado-stricken neighbourhoods and remained on edge Sunday for more severe weather ahead after storms swept through parts of the Midwest and South and killed more than two dozen people. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Kentucky was hardest hit as a devastating tornado damaged hundreds of homes, tossed vehicles and left many homeless. At least 19 people were killed, most of them in southeastern Laurel County. Meteorologists predicted a fresh 'multi-day' mix of dangerous weather conditions across the nation's midsection starting Sunday with heavy rains, thunderstorms and the possibility of more tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service. Severe storms were possible for Kentucky on Monday and even more so on Tuesday, the weather service said. Jeff Wyatt's home of 17 years was destroyed along with much of his neighbourhood in London, Kentucky. Wyatt, his wife and two of their children scarcely made it to safety in a hallway while the roof and family room were ripped away. On Sunday, the family returned to the wreckage to collect photos, baby blankets and other keepsakes. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It happened so fast,' said Wyatt, 54. 'If we would have been there 10 seconds longer, we would have been gone with the family room.' The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said. The system also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, brought punishing heat to Texas and temporarily enveloped parts of Illinois — including Chicago — in a pall of dust on an otherwise sunny day. The weather service said parts of Missouri and Kansas could see severe thunderstorms, golf ball-sized hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph (97 km/h) into Monday. In London, Kentucky, Ryan VanNorstran huddled with his brother's large dogs in a first-floor closet as the storm hit his brother's home Friday in a neighbourhood along Keavy Road where much of the destruction in the community of nearly 8,000 people was centred. VanNorstran was house-sitting. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He said he felt the house shake as he got in the closet. Then a door from another house crashed through a window. All the windows blew out of the house and his car was destroyed. Chunks of wood had punched through several parts of the roof but the house avoided catastrophic damage. When he stepped outside he heard 'a lot of screaming.' 'I guess in the moment, I kind of realized there was nothing I could do. I'd never really felt that kind of power from just nature,' he said. 'And so I was in there and I was just kind of thinking, it's either gonna take me or it's all gonna be all right.' Survey teams were expected on the ground in Kentucky on Monday so the state can apply for federal disaster assistance, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He announced the 19th storm victim on Sunday, identifying her as an adult woman from Russell County. Beshear said of the 10 people hospitalized for injuries related to the severe weather, three remained in critical condition. 'I want tornado survivors to know we're thankful they're here — and we will help them with everything else,' he said on X, touting fundraising efforts to help with funeral expenses and rebuilding. Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, he said. About 1,200 tornadoes strike the U.S. annually, and they have been reported in all 50 states over the years. Researchers found in 2018 that deadly tornadoes were happening less frequently in the traditional 'Tornado Alley' of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In St. Louis, Mayor Cara Spencer said five people died, 38 were injured and more than 5,000 homes were affected. 'The devastation is truly heartbreaking,' she said at a news conference Saturday. A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometres) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media. The storms hit after the Trump administration massively cut staffing of National Weather Service offices, with outside experts worrying about how it would affect warnings in disasters such as tornadoes. The office in Jackson, Kentucky, which was responsible for the area around London, Kentucky, had a March 2025 vacancy rate of 25%; the Louisville, Kentucky, weather service staff was down 29%; and the St. Louis office was down 16%, according to calculations by weather service employees obtained by The Associated Press. The Louisville office was also without a permanent boss, the meteorologist in charge, as of March, according to the staffing data. Experts said any vacancy rate above 20% is a critical problem. — Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed to this report. Toronto & GTA Sports World World Sunshine Girls
