Kentucky governor: A week after tornadoes, missing persons now ‘at zero’

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said in a press conference Saturday that there are zero people remain missing as a result of the tornadoes that devastated the state a week earlier.

“Right now, missing persons, based on this tornado event, are at zero,” Beshear stated.

A week ago several tornadoes hit the state overnight, destroying hundreds of homes and killing dozens of people.

The governor says 78 people died in the event, though he added that the state’s health department and emergency management are reporting 75 people died. The exact number will be confirmed in the next few days, according to Beshear.

Beshear also warned that the number could increase as individuals are still in the hospital, although he was unsure how many and what condition they were in. 

“Whether it’s 75 or 78, that’s just a huge number of Kentuckians to lose,” he said. “We mourn with their families.”

The governor added that six more counties in the state had been designated eligible for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

More than 10,000 insurance claims have been filed in connection with the event, according to Beshear.

Beshear said the Team Western Kentucky Relief Fund has raised $19,777,726 through 105,370 donations for victims and those impacted by the tornadoes.

The state is providing housing and food for hundreds of residents and has increased law enforcement presence in affected areas, as there have been some attempts to steal from destroyed homes.

​​“We are now one week, exactly, from the worst tornado disaster in our history,” the governor said.