Kentucky death toll from tornadoes increases to 77

Kentucky’s death toll from a line of tornadoes that tore through the state has increased to 77

Midwest Tornadoes Rebuilding (Copyright 2021The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Kentucky s death toll from a line of tornadoes that tore through the state has increased to 77, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday.

The most recent death was recorded in Lyon County, which had not previously reported any casualties.

As of Friday, only one person remained missing, in Hopkins County, Beshear said. He called that “incredible news” during a briefing Friday ahead of a blood drive in the rotunda of the state Capitol building.

More than 1,300 state workers and National Guard members have been mobilized to areas hit by the storms, which cut a 200-mile (322-kilometer) path through Kentucky alone. The National Weather Service recorded at least 41 tornadoes, including 16 in Tennessee and eight in Kentucky.