The new ‘tornado alley’
Post Reports
The Washington Post
4.4 • 5.1K Ratings
🗓️ 13 December 2021
⏱️ ? minutes
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Summary
On the ground in Mayfield, Ky., after a string of tornadoes devastated the town, flattening buildings and leaving streets unrecognizable. The tornadoes tore through a 200-mile swath of land, and may be the sign of a lengthening tornado season.
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Late last week, a string of tornadoes ripped through the South and Midwest regions of the United States. Dozens have died, and thousands of structures have been destroyed. National breaking news reporter Kim Bellware takes us on the ground to the hard-hit town of Mayfield, Ky., where survivors are in shock.
Plus, Capital Weather Gang contributor Jeffrey Halverson explains how unusual it is to see a tornado event this powerful during the winter months, and why it may be a sign of a changing weather patterns.
Follow The Washington Post’s live coverage of the tornado recovery efforts here.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | We make a beautiful work of promise, |
| 0:05.4 | see for the time that it's my God. |
| 0:09.6 | Two days after a devastating string of tornadoes tore through a 200-mile |
| 0:14.6 | swath of the United States, people in mayfield Kentucky gathered at a |
| 0:19.2 | Baptist church for Sunday service. |
| 0:21.3 | That church is somehow still standing. |
| 0:30.1 | Every part of our structure is damaged. |
| 0:35.2 | Ceilings ripped off roofs, ripped off windows busted out. |
| 0:39.0 | It's Pastor Westfowler. He was in the basement of the church when the tornado hit. |
| 0:42.9 | We heard and saw the ceiling tiles in the tunnel violently shaking up and down, falling out. |
| 0:50.7 | In that moment we got our families and we put them against the wall. |
| 0:54.4 | Then we got on top of our families and we covered them the best that we could. |
| 0:58.2 | I was telling my family we're going to be okay. |
| 1:00.1 | We're going to be okay. |
| 1:01.2 | We're going to be okay. |
| 1:02.1 | I kept tongue that over and over. |
| 1:04.3 | The truth is in my head, I didn't know that. |
| 1:07.9 | It didn't feel like we were going to be okay. |
| 1:12.9 | From the newsroom of the Washington Post, this is Post Reports. |
| 1:16.5 | I'm Martin Powers. It's Monday, December 13th. |
| 1:20.6 | Today, on the ground, after tornadoes left a trail of devastation and destruction behind. |
| 1:26.8 | In Kentucky, at least 64 people have died. |
... |
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