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National

Labor practices of a Kentucky candle factory come under scrutiny after tornado deaths

5:00pm December 14, 2021

by Jared Bennett, Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting

The labor practices of a Mayfield, Ky., candle factory are coming under scrutiny after at least eight people died in a tornado. Some question why so many employees were there as bad weather descended.

National

Supplies and workers are limited as communities start to rebuild after tornadoes

4:23pm December 14, 2021

by David Schaper

Thousands of families across Kentucky and other states hit by tornadoes are facing a difficult road ahead to rebuild. Supplies are limited and workers are in demand as they try to get things in order.

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An Elmo doll is seen atop a community memorial in a decimated field on Tuesday in Mayfield, Ky. Images and video showed the town was devastated by tornadoes.

National

Searchers digging through mountains of debris left by deadly tornadoes in Kentucky

3:23pm December 14, 2021

by James Doubek

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said 74 people were confirmed killed and more than 100 are still unaccounted for. The victims who have been identified range in age from 2 months to 98 years.

National

Meteorologists want to confirm how many tornadoes touched down in Western Kentucky

7:57am December 14, 2021

by Derek Operle

The ferocity of Friday night's deadly tornadoes in western Kentucky is evident to anyone who sees the aftermath. The National Weather Service is trying to determine just how strong they were.

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Homeland Security secretary tours the damage from deadly weekend tornadoes

7:17am December 14, 2021

NPR's Rachel Martin speaks to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the aftermath of deadly tornadoes in Kentucky and five other states. Dozens of people remain unaccounted for.

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Chief Geoffrey Deibler and dispatchers Meghan Collier (center) and Bobbie Brown of the Morganfield Police Department traveled to nearby Dawson Springs, Ky., to help look for survivors.

National

Kentucky crews search painstakingly for 109 people missing after deadly tornadoes

6:08am December 14, 2021

by Brian Mann

Gov. Andy Beshear said at least 74 people died statewide. The search for survivors has been slow going. Teams must move carefully and methodically as they pick through the rubble of demolished homes.

National

At least 8 died at the local candle factory in one of the areas hit hard by tornadoes

5:10pm December 13, 2021

by David Schaper

In western Kentucky, the city of Mayfield got walloped by Friday night's tornado. Huge swathes of the area were destroyed and an unknown number of people were killed.

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Civil engineer says buildings will need to prepare for stronger storms

4:54pm December 13, 2021

NPR's Audie Cornish chats with civil engineering expert David Prevatt about how to prepare buildings for tornadoes following a series of deadly storms.

Scientists are working to figure out how climate change influences tornadoes

4:54pm December 13, 2021

by Dan Charles

Tornadoes remain among the most unpredictable weather events. Unlike hurricanes, there's little evidence so far that the planet's warming climate is producing more of them, or more severe ones.

National

A rural community of 200 people in Kentucky lost 12 in tornado on Friday

4:44pm December 13, 2021

by Ryan Van Velzer

Bremen, Ky., population 200, was hard hit by Friday's tornado. At least 12 people were killed. Bremen is just one of several communities struggling with the loss and wondering how to recover.

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