Mayfield Grain Company Demolished by Rare Mid-December Tornado that Ravaged Rural Kentucky Town
A series of severe storms barreled across the U.S. Friday night, producing rare mid-December tornadoes. The system proved deadly as it ravaged areas across the Midwest and South. Officials said Sunday the current death toll in Kentucky could be as low as 50 or as high as 100, with at least 14 deaths reported in other states.
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles says the damage is mounting for the state's agriculture industry. He says the list of facilities impacted continues to grow, with extensive damage reported to Mayfield Grain Company, Hutson Deere dealership, Pilgrim's hatcheries, as well as multiple chicken houses and grain systems that were also damaged by the storm. He says the state is still assessing livestock losses.
Mayfield Grain Company, which is family owned and operated, took a direct hit from the tornado. Portions of the facility were shredded by the powerful storm. An aerial photo by James Hunt on Facebook shows just how severe the damage was to the grain facility during the rare December tornado. The tornado tore the roofs off of grain bins, buildings were unrecognizable as the structures were in pieces. The photo also shows a semi full of grain thrown on its side.
Jake Whitford says Mayfield Grain Company is his family's facility, which includes three locations total. He says two of the three were destroyed in the storm, but the family is thankful no-one was at either site during the storm.
"Total loss but our God is still good! Prayers needed for our family, workforce, and little town I call home," Whitford posted on Facebook.
As the aerial photo shows the extensive damage caused by the tornado, the winds were so powerful Nichole Eagle, who lives 98 miles northeast of Mayfield in Hanson, Ky., says she found papers from Mayfield Grain in her front yard the next day.
University of Kentucky's research station in Princeton, Ky. was also hammered but the storm. Jeff Franklin who works in communications for UK Extension says the facility in Princeton was destroyed, which is over three hours from Lexington, Ky.
"The research station, known as the UK Research and Education Center was established in 1925 to serve the Western Kentucky area of state where the majority of our row crops are located," says Franklin. "Worst of all, the research facilities were renovated completely and just dedicated in the fall of 2020. It then became known as the Grain and Forage Center of Excellence. It is destroyed, but the good thing there was no one injured in the overnight tornadoes."
The devastation across Kentucky could take weeks to assess, but as the communities work to not only account for all the damage, but start to clean up, Quarles says the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and other officials are working with producers and EPA to provide adequate plans for animal health and disposal efforts.
He says anyone looking to help can do so through multiple humanitarian relief efforts. Quarles listed the following on Facebook over the weekend:
https://www.gofundme.com/.../mayfield-kentucky-tornado...
https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief
https://www.redcross.org/local/kentucky.html
Details regarding agricultural specific donations are still being gathered.
"We are working with Kentucky Farm Bureau and Extension to gather specific requests so we do not duplicate efforts. Expect more on ag efforts soon," Quarles said on Facebook.
