The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page A7

DEVASTATINGSTORMS SAVING MEMORIES KopanaTerrycarriesphotographsofhergreat-grandparents DevastationwasvisiblethroughoutthecityonSaturday. bykneelinginafirstfloorhallwaywith hisdaughterasavortextoreawaythe secondstoryofhishouse.Hedescribedit aslike gettingsandblastedfromthe Officialsestimatethatthetwister pathofdevastationandspanningupto fivemileswideinplaces. Thewholetownisjustgone.Thenew gone.Thefuneralhomeisgone,”said volunteerwhohelpedcoordinateefforts tofindshelterforevacuees. WestLibertywasoneofthehardest- hitareasinKentuckyandSouthernIndi- peopleandinjuredhundreds.Thedeath tollcontinuedtoclimbSaturdayasrescue workerssearchedforbodiesandsought foodandshelterfortheliving. WestLibertywereevacuated.

PrestonsburgFireChiefRobertCar- erseensuchdestructioninhis32-yearca- reer. ThisisthetornadoversionofHurri- toweredashighas5feetdownbothsides therubbletoclearthewayforemergency vehicles. Emergencymanagementofficials struggledtoreunitefamilymembers amidthewidespreadtelephoneandcell- phoneoutages. Lt.DavidJudeoftheKentuckyState Policesaidthenumberofthoseunac- gencyofficialsbegantrackingthedis- placedonSaturdayineffortstoidentify thoseinsheltersanddeterminethetrue numberofmissing. We'vegotsomanypeopleatdifferent Residentswhohadstayedintown wereaskedtoleave.Manyweretrans- portedtooneofthreesheltersthatthe AmericanRedCrosshadhelpedestablish counties.

HershelWhittwalkeddownMain Streetinhopesofcatchingarideafterpo- licetoldhimhecouldn'tsafelyremainin hisapartment.Whittsurvivedthestorm wasn'tsureifhecouldeverreturnhome tolive. Someresidentswhohadfledtriedto drivebackintotowntocheckonproperty orlovedones.Butauthoritiesorderedthe townlockeddownFridaynighttoprevent looting. Gov.SteveBeshearsurveyedthere- gionbyhelicopter.Othersmallplanesand helicopterscircledthetown. Thesurrealdestructionshockedwit- nesses.Thehavocwasrandom,withsome buildingsrelativelyunscathedamid broadswathsofdamage.Windsrippeda tireofapolicecruiserfromitsaxlewith- outdisturbingthelugnuts. GaryBaileyofFlemingsburghelpeda familymemberrecoveranear-pristine drumsetfromadowntownchurchthat hadbeenreducedtosplinters.

KopanaTerryrescuedtwocentury-old damagedbyafallentree. Whatissoweirdaboutthisisthese shesaid. Baileynevercouldhaveimaginedhis hometowninsuchruin. KentuckyEmergencyManagement coordinatedeffortswithteamsfromall overthestate.Atleast30groupsworked gencyrespondersrotatingshifts. Officialsandresidentsspeculatedthat recoveryeffortswilllastmonthsifnot years.OtherspredictedthatWestLiberty willneverbethesame.

sponsehasbeenoverwhelming.Oakley saidthedisasterhasbroughtoutthegood inpeople. Thefaceofitwillneverbethesame.But ReporterMikeWynncanbereachedat(502) 875-5136. WESTLIBERTY: Residentsexit ContinuedfromPageA1 toreunitefamiliescontinue. Standingamid WeatherServicemeteorologistJoeSulli- vantoldreportersthatwhilethetornado wasoneofthemostdevastatinghehad thattheschoolhadleteveryoneoutbe- bestandingheretalkingaboutonefatali- Therewouldhavebeen HesaidHenryvilleisagreatexample ofweatherwarningsystemsworkingef- hadaconferencecallwithIndianaoffi- cialstwohoursbeforethestormhit, promptingsomedistrictstoreleasestu- dentsearly. Thiscouldhavebeenanincredible beenaverygooddayinthatrespect.The Sullivanwaswithoneofthreeteamsof weatherexpertssurveyingthedamage andpathsofthetornadoesSaturday.

Thelargestofthetornadoesthat servicesaid.Only2percentoftornadoes arethatintense.Itcausedmostofthedam- ageinHenryville. Theweatherservicesaidtwosuper- cellspassedoversomeofthesamearea fromNewPekintoHenryvillebeforesep- arating.Informationontheintensityofthe DebrisfromHenryvillehasbeenfound 70milestothenortheastinKentuckyand Ohio. Thisranksasoneofthetopsinmyca- reerasbeingoneofthemostdevastating rologistRonPrzybylinski.Combinea mosphericinstabilityand youhadthein- SullivansaidtherewasalsoEF4dam- ageinNewPekin.Thetwotornadoesthat ReporterJasonRileycanbereachedat584- 2197 Henryville sawwinds of175mph Weatherexpertssayearly warningswerealife-saver ByJasonRiley TheCourier-Journal K1IN THECOURIER-JOURNAL A7.