Re: US: Large, Dangerous Tornado Outbreak claimed the lives of at least 38 people so far
Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Emergency Officials Issue Safety Messages Following Friday?s Severe Storms, Tornadoes
<TABLE id=pressReleaseMetaDataTable border=0 summary="layout table"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=right>Press Release Date:
</TD><TD vAlign=top>Sunday, March 04, 2012 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=right>Contact Information: </TD><TD vAlign=top>Kerri Richardson
Terry Sebastian
502-564-2611
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Governor Beshear: Unauthorized personnel advised to stay away from stricken areas
FRANKFORT, Ky.? Local and state emergency officials urge citizens to use extreme caution following Friday?s severe storms and tornadoes that caused widespread damage, injuries and loss of life. The Kentucky Department of Public Health reports 20 fatalities from the storms, and more than 300 people have been reported injured.
After visiting some of the worst impacted areas on Saturday, Gov. Steve Beshear warned Kentuckians to heed warnings from emergency managers to stay off the roads and away from affected communities.
?Unfortunately, after a disaster like the one we have experienced, people take to the road for one of two reasons: to offer unsolicited help, or to tour the damage. That?s not helpful to our emergency responders,? said Gov. Beshear. ?Our emergency responders and National Guard troops need immediate and unfettered access to our roads, and they can?t effectively continue that work if they?re fighting traffic.?
People who want to offer assistance to affected communities should contact their local Red Cross chapter for information. Emergency managers strongly discourage people from traveling to these communities to offer help.
Interested parties wanting to make donations should go to
http://kyem.ky.gov/recovery/Pages/VolunteerCoordination.aspx for directions and list of registered charities and affiliates.
Residents should be wary of using alternate heat and power sources, some of which emit carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death. Carbon monoxide safety tips can be found at
http://www.cdc.gov/co/guidelines.htm. Never run a generator indoors; never use a charcoal grill indoors. Be sure to follow manufacturers? safety instructions when using alternate heat sources such as kerosene heaters. .
Residents beginning clean-up work should exercise great caution when entering damaged buildings. Never re-enter until the structure has been inspected and deemed safe by a qualified person. Be sure electric and gas have been shut off or disconnected. These and other safety tips on returning to your damaged home can be found at
http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/recover/return.shtm .
Friends or family who have been unable to locate loved ones since Friday?s storms are encouraged to register the missing person?s information on the Kentucky Emergency Management website at
www.kyem.ky.gov or through the American Red Cross Safe and Well Program at
www.americanredcross.org.
Several shelters have opened by the Red Cross to accommodate citizens displaced by the storm:
- Morgan Central Elementary School
3201 Highway 460
West Liberty, KY
- Grant County High School
715 Warsaw Rd.
Dry Ridge, KY
- Morgan Community Center
147 Victory Ave.
Bedford, KY
Additional information
? The Governor has deployed a total of 387 National Guard Troops.
? The Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction has dispatched five general inspectors to assist with building assessments in counties hit by storms.
? Kentucky State Parks is offering a special rate to storm victims. Kentuckians can call a park for more detail. View
www.parks.ky.gov for numbers and locations.
? The disaster response team of the Kentucky Department of Insurance went to Hardin and LaRue counties Saturday and met with emergency management officials to find areas hit hardest by Wednesday?s storms.
Team members are giving out copies of the agency?s ?Before and After the Storm? publication that includes information on what to expect during the claims process and tips dealing with an insurance adjuster. Copies of the publication have been sent to all local officials in these affected counties, and the team is monitoring responses of insurance companies to ensure an adequate number of adjusters are on the ground.
The Department of Insurance is working to send disaster response team members and materials into other counties hit by Friday?s storm. For more information, view
www.insurance.ky.gov or call 1-800-595-6053.
For media updates, contact the Commonwealth Joint Information Center at 502-607-6901, 502-607-6903, or 502-607-6904. Additional safety tips and disaster specific information can be found on the Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM) website at
www.kyem.ky.gov.
http://migration.kentucky.gov/newsroom/governor/20120304stormupdate3.htm
