Lyon County Tornado Recovery
Author: Susan Fox
Planning Unit: Lyon County CES
Major Program: Tornado Response and Recovery
Plan of Work: Unrelated to a specified County Plan of Work
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
The December 10 tornado crossed Lyon County around 10:10 p.m. It traveled across Land Between the Lakes, which occupies the southwest corner of the county, and then traveled along Eddy Bay and approximately two miles of open farmland, damaging some 75-100 homes and three farms. As the local ESF-11 agriculture disaster coordinator my response was as follows:
- I was called at midnight on Dec.10 to check on 4 dogs at a home first thing in the morning. The house was checked at daylight, family members were climbing the rubble to rescue the dogs. All four dogs were found alive and well.
- At the request of the County Judge Executive, I mailed and talked with the UK Forestry Department for advice on dealing with the damaged timber. They prepared a sheet for extension agents on where damaged timber could be taken for processing as pulpwood.
- Coordinated the local shelter with another volunteer and the FCS agent for 11 days. This included helping to direct people that stopped in and providing meals for the National Guard, police officers, volunteers, and families displaced by the tornados.
- Visited and talked with local farmers to access the farm damage in Lyon County. Evaluations were completed in cooperation with the NRCS technician and submitted to the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Three farms with tornado damage were assisted with donations and resource and contact information.
- Assisted with clean-up of debris at our Lee S. Jones Park and at one house on Sunday, Dec. 12 with two other ANR agents.
- Submitted a list of fencing needs to the Farm Bureau 'Kentucky Ag Disaster Relief Program'. Nelson County Farm Bureau donated a load of materials to Lyon County which was delivered on December 29.
- Escorted an Amish representative to local farms so they could organize disaster assistance for farms including field pick-up, fencing repair, and barn removal.
- Wrote three articles for the local paper, one on safe rooms was also used in the regional paper, the Paducah Sun.
- Sent a letter to farmers advising them to check fields for debris, as the debris field is at least 6 miles out from the tornado and debris is hard to see from the road, and to keep track of their time and expenses for possible reimbursement.
- Tested 70 bales of hay received in the county for disaster victims.
- Attended a candlelight prayer for the tornado victims.
- The office has hosted the UKREC Entomology group's lab for two months and assisted them with farm locations to for research projects.