These gatherings came to an abrupt halt on Dec. 10, when a huge tornado destroyed their Dawson Springs home, trapping Chris Bullock and Stevie Bullock (17 years old) under a crumbling brick wall in the basement. Her husband pulled them out of the rubble with minor injuries but the home where she lived 26 years, was gone.
Bullock recently told The Associated Press that there were "things we weren't able to find." "Our neighbor had a dryer in their yard. Our ketchup was found, but our refrigerator wasn't.
Chris Bullock, along with hundreds of Kentuckians, are hard at work reconstructing their lives four months after the tornado destroyed her family's lives. Communities like Dawson Springs, Mayfield, and Bowling Green are moving closer to recovery thanks to a wide network of municipal workers and contractors, churches and charities, and volunteers.
A handful of states were affected by the storm system that created the tornado. On Dec. 10, 11 and 12, the National Weather Service recorded 41 tornadoes, including 16 in Tennessee and eight for Kentucky. According to state officials, 81 people were killed in Kentucky. Many people sought shelter with family and friends or in hotels, state parks, and emergency rooms.
Mayfield saw the destruction of a candle factory, nursing home, and government buildings. Strong winds blew away homes and tore them from their foundations. Crews worked night and day to remove debris and restore power.
There are many signs that Mayfield is rebuilding has been hard to miss, including the cracking and breaking of excavators, glass and wood fragmentation, and the beep and beep-beeps of heavy machinery.
Kentucky Governor. Andy Beshear stated that removing debris and finding temporary housing was one of the first priorities following the tornado. Recently, more attention has been paid to keeping residents in Kentucky.
Beshear stated, "These are towns that almost have been wiped off of the map." "We will not stop trying to get people back on their feet, and we will also continue to worry about keeping these towns' population from falling."
The governor stated that some have relocated to permanent shelters, such as travel trailers. Tracy Warner, emergency management director, said that tiny homes in Graves County were approved for residents who are displaced. Several larger homes are being constructed in Mayfield.
Warner stated, "We hold the future Mayfield and Graves County in good hands." "And that is frightening, but exciting."
There is reason to be optimistic, but progress remains slow in some areas. Bullock, 54, a registered nurse, said that she has only seen a handful of houses rebuilt in Dawson Springs. Some friends don't believe they will stay.
Bullock and her husband had paid off the house but they didn't have any insurance. Bullock and her husband are now being assisted by a disaster-response charity to build a new home on their property. Bullock hopes to be able to enjoy their family gatherings again one day.
"Sundays were fun days. ... She said, "I just want that to happen again."
Beshear, a Democrat said that millions of housing assistance payments from a state relief account are being distributed. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that $64 million has been approved by the federal government for Kentucky storm victims. Some aid is targeted at temporary housing.
Beshear stated that recovery will take "a few years, but it shouldn’t take any more." There are days when it is more frustrating, but we will get there.
From all over the country, people poured in bottled water, diapers, and other supplies after the storm. Volunteers with trucks and trailers made deliveries to the Heartland Church of Paducah. The Rev. Marc Glass and volunteers loaded a church building and donated warehouse with everything, from paper towels to toys.
Herschel Evans was a driver for American Trucking Association's Share The Road program. She offered to drive a 53-foot-long, bright blue semitrailer with supplies from Atlanta to Paducah.
Evans stated, "I don’t have a lot money, but I have skills." "I can move the truck across the country.
Heartland has shifted its relief efforts to rebuilding with donated furniture and beds to those who have moved to new homes. Glass stated that the church's spirit of community goes beyond this.
We care not only about your physical needs but also about you as an individual. He said, "We care about your soul."
Dawson Springs charity God's Pit Crew will rebuild Chris Bullock's house free of charge.
Chris Chiles, a staff member of the nonprofit, stated that it uses donated equipment and volunteers to rebuild homes after disasters such as hurricanes or forest fires.
Chiles led a convoy that carried $1 million of heavy machinery, tree-removal tools, and a shower from Chiles to Kentucky in January. God's Pit Crew also sends volunteers to counsel victims.
Chiles said that there is more to healing than just putting a roof over someone's head. Chiles stated that they can talk to someone and let them know that someone cares.
Bullock and her husband briefly considered leaving Dawson Springs to find a new home or to rebuild their home. "But we lived there for 26 years, and we had five children there," Bullock said.
She said, "It's just like home." "It just didn’t feel right to me to be anywhere else."
