It's been a week since tornados devastated parts of western Kentucky. It'll be many weeks before the cleanup ends and the healing begins.
The National Weather Service report 7 tornados touched down in Kentucky on the evening of December 10 and morning of December 11. One of those tornados, which obliterated parts of Mayfield, Dawson Springs and Bremen, was on the ground at least 200 miles.
Early surveyor reports put its wind speeds between 160-206 miles per hour. That's somewhere between EF3 and EF5 in the ratings.
Another EF3 rated tornado travelled through several counties to the east, killing seven children from one single street in Bowling Green, among others. A third deadly tornado hit Taylor county.
As I write this, 74 Kentuckians are known to have died. But over 100 more are still missing. Even if half of those are safe and accounted for, over 100 of our neighbors have lost their lives.
This is from a tornado outbreak in December. No, tornados in December aren't that unusual. But 7 from one system, with one travelling well over 150 miles in Kentucky is very unusual. Climate change kind of unusual.
There are no bright spots in disasters. Their time and place are random as are their aftermaths. Finding miracles or signs in the chaos might make us feel better, but that unscathed piano or bible really mean no more or less than the many destroyed.
What we should trust in times of destruction and confusion is that bright lights will shine. There are heros among us and who they turn out to be is as random as the chaos that sparked those lights in the first place.
A sherrif's deputy in the candle factory who helped many get to shelter, only to lose his own when the building collapsed. A lawn worker from Tennessee showing up in Mayfield with a cooker, food and water to feed people who had nothing left. The many unrecognized who became first responders by necessity, pulling their neighbors from the wreckage.
The ironic thing about disasters is they can bring us to our better selves.
December 10th, the date of the tornado outbreak, was the 2nd anniversary of Andy Beshear's inauguration as governor of this Commonwealth. Think about what he has had to face in those two years.
A global pandemic that's killed 11,600 Kentuckians and counting. Massive demonstrations and rioting in Louisville after Brianna Taylor's killing. Major record flooding in eastern Kentucky. Now the deadliest tornado outbreak in our history.
Andy's had to call out the national guard more times in two years than most Kentucky governors ever do. But we've fared better than our neighbors in the pandemic and the Louisville situation that could have been much worse was diffused. And in these days of shock and sorrow, he's demonstrated the kind of empathy and compassion few leaders dare.
I was skeptical of this governor coming in. But if ever a leader's light has shown during hard times, it is Andy Beshear's. I hope more Kentuckians recognize how blessed we are to have this man at this time.