Dept. of Public Health confirms 12 deaths
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 2, 2012) – Governor Steve Beshear has authorized a total of 275 National Guard Troops to assist Johnson, Laurel, Magoffin, Menifee and Morgan counties with storm-related damages.
The Kentucky Department of Public Health has confirmed a total of 12 fatalities reported to the agency by local coroners. Four fatalities have been reported in Menifee County, four in Laurel County, three inKenton County, and one in Morgan County. More than 200 injuries have been reported.
Saturday morning, Gov. Beshear will tour several counties hit by the severe weather throughout Friday. He will tour Morgan, Menifee and Kenton counties with Gen. Ed Tonini, Sen. Damon Thayer, ofGeorgetown, and Sen. Robert Stivers, of Manchester.
Gov. Beshear declared a statewide emergency earlier today to allow local officials immediate access to state resources to assist in public safety and recovery efforts. Several local communities have declared states of emergency: Bath, Campbell, Johnson, Kenton, Laurel, Rowan, and Trimble counties and the city of Paintsville.
Trained spotters and law enforcement officers throughout the state reported 13 tornadoes in Kentucky, according to Kentucky Emergency Management.
Damage assessments and rescue missions will continue through the night. Severe storms began rolling across the Commonwealth this afternoon beginning in the far western part of the state and moved north and east of the Ohio river from Indiana.
Several shelters have opened by the Red Cross to accommodate citizens displaced by the storm:
- Elliott County High School, Main Street, Sandy Hook, KY
- Lawrence County High School, 100 Bulldog Lane, Louisa, KY
- Grant County High School, 715 Warsaw Road, Dry Ridge, KY
- Laurel Fire Dept., 911 TLC Lane, London, KY
Weather safety tips and weather alerts by county can be found on the Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM) website at www.kyem.ky.gov. Road conditions are available at www.511.ky.gov.
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