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Historic Swarm Of Deadly Tornadoes Slams Through Six States; Tornado Damage In Mayfield, Kentucky; Tornado Damage In Dawson Springs, KY; Commissioner Todd Hayden (D), Graves County, KY Discusses Tornadoes Hitting Kentucky, Assisting Rescue Efforts. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired December 11, 2021 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): It's been one of the toughest nights in Kentucky history.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST (voice-over): Destruction and devastation after 30 tornados strike six states overnight killing dozens.

A candle factory employee in Kentucky livestreams pleas for help:

KYANNA PARSONS-PEREZ, RESCUED FROM COLLAPSED CANDLE FACTORY (voice- over): We are trapped. Please, you all, get us some help. We're at the candle factory in Mayfield.

BROWN: People desperately seeking their loved ones.

IVY WILLIAMS, LOOKING FOR HIS WIFE AT THE COLLAPSE CANDLE FACTOR IN MAYFIELD, KY: I've been looking for her since 10:30 tonight. Please help me.

BROWN: President Biden offers federal support.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is one of those times when we aren't Democrats or Republicans. It sounds like hyperbole, but it's real. We're all Americans. We stand together as the United States of America. I say to all the victims, you're in our prayers.

BROWN: Emergency crews searching for survivors. Residents reeling from the scale of the disaster.

AMBER TUCKER, BOWLING GREEN, KY, RESIDENT: -- stuff you see on TV and the news channel. It doesn't happen in your town until it happens in your town.

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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BROWN: I'm Pamela Brown, in Mayfield, Kentucky, the epicenter of the deadliest December day for tornados on record. At least seventy people are feared dead.

And this is what remains of the candle factory in town, leveled by a tornado. Remarkably, some 40 people were rescued from this wreckage but dozens remain missing.

And late this afternoon, Kentucky's governor says it will be, quote, "a miracle if anybody else is found alive it in, end quote.

In all, more than 30 tornados raked across six states. CNN metrologists say one single-track twister may have ripped a 250-mile swath of damage from Arkansas to Kentucky, where I am right now in Mayfield. That would be a record.

Winds ripped apart an Amazon warehouse in western Illinois, killing at least six people. The wreckage is exceedingly dangerous for rescue crews who are painstakingly searching for survivors at this hour.

I can tell you, here in Mayfield, it is cold, it is dark.

In Arkansas, the tornado decimated a nursing home. At least one person was killed there. Many people were trapped and at least 20 injured.

President Biden has approved a federal emergency declaration and says he does plan to go to the hard-hit areas.

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BIDEN: This is likely to be one of the largest tornado operations in our history. The federal government will do everything, everything it can possible possibly do to help.

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BROWN: Our correspondents are on the scene of those areas shattered by the tornados. They're following all the latest rescue efforts.

Here in Mayfield, CNN's Nadia Romero.

Nadia, you have been here for hours. How has the mood changed during that time?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, when we first arrived, there was a lot of confusion and even chaos.

Because you had so many people here, Pamela, who were searching for their loved ones. They showed up the middle of the storm overnight right after that tornado passed to pull people out of the rubble.

Then early this morning, when we arrived, we saw a lot of the emergency crews trying to get some sense of a process here, having one area for staging, another area for water and snacks for the first responders, another area for the EMTs to get lined up, a place for the ambulances.

Just a lot of things to organize because knew there would be a tornado in this area. But no one expected the magnitude and devastation that it caused.

Right now, we have pretty much all-hands-on-deck. Different emergency crews from all across this city, county, and the whole state really that have shown up, even the National Guard.

You mentioned President Biden talking about here in Kentucky and other places that have been impacted and sending those federal resources. And so much is needed for people not just here impacted by the candle factory, but all across Mayfield.

We spoke with people, I mean, so many of them, who came out to check on their loved ones to see if they made it out of the building during that tornado.

One woman told me that she came to check on her friend. She used to work here. She knew exactly where to go, what area her friend had been working in.

When she arrived, she found her old supervisor was all cut up and bruised. She was still alive. Right next to her, was her friend who did not survive the tornado.

We also spoke with a man named Ivy Williams and he has just shared this heartbreaking story of being out for hours overnight in the pouring rain pulling people out, he says, but not being able to find his wife.

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Listen.

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WILLIAMS: I want to find my wife. I want to find her and know she's still somewhere safe. I hope she's somewhere safe.

Baby, please call me so we can get connected. Please call me. I'm looking for you, baby. We've been looking for you. Me, Tamara and the kids, we're all looking for you right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: Absolutely horrendous to think what Ivy and his entire family is going through looking for his wife, Jeanine, who he says he was with for some 30 years. They have kids and grandkids. And they're all waiting for some answers tonight.

A lot of things we still just don't know. We did hear -- CNN spoke with the CEO of the candle factory, who says that he was here on site helping first responders, trying to locate the 110 people who were working inside.

But still, Pamela, so many unanswered questions. When did they hear the sirens? Did they hear the sirens? What did they do when they knew they were in danger?

What happened in the moments leading up to the tornado? And where are so many people now still unaccounted for -- Pamela?

BROWN: We will be sure to press for answers to those very important questions as we absorb the tragedy here in Mayfield and five other states.

A hard-hit area in western Kentucky also, Dawson Springs, not far from where I am in Mayfield. That is a popular tourist destination.

Ed Lavandera is there.

Ed, what are you seeing?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, we're about 70 miles east of where you are. And as we pulled into Dawson Springs this afternoon, it really looked like an -- the epicenter of an explosive blast that stretched over several miles in the hard of this community.

We found homes not just toppled over by the storm, but simply shredded by this tornado.

We spoke with some residents who had driven to this area to help the residents who were in these homes that were just left in shambles.

One resident told us that they spent the night pulling people out of the rubble, many of them with broken bones, trying to get them to safe areas where they could be taken away to hospital care.

We spoke with another gentleman who was inside a home that was left exactly like this. He said he was watching on the radar as the tornado was approaching. And as they got a few miles away, and he knew that this neighborhood was about to take a direct hit, he knew he had to get out of here.

He left. He came back to a home that he is still trying to piece together and figure out exactly where it is.

As we've walked around this neighborhood this afternoon, Pamela, all of the power out. This is a sea of darkness all around us. It's eerily quiet.

There are dozens of cars stacked on top of each other. The back half simply sheared off. It was a devastating scene here.

And this is Hopkin's County. We were told by the medical examiner that 10 people were killed in this storm here in this county. And this is the worst-hit area of this county.

You can imagine that a lot of the deaths occurred in this area -- in this neighborhood that we are in.

So many people left homeless tonight, that officials here have opened up some cottages at a nearby state park to help people get through this night.

Not only do they have all of this to worry about, as you've talked about, the temperatures are extremely cold here in Kentucky tonight, which makes this an even more miserable situation,.

As people are simply, as you walk around, dazed, confused and stunned by exactly what they have endured, what many of them have survived.

The governor of Kentucky was here earlier today.

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BESHEAR: My dad's hometown of Dawson Springs, population, oh, 2,700. They're going to lose a whole lot of people.

One block from my grandparents' house, there's no house standing. There's no house standing. And we don't know where all those people are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: And, Pamela, the eerie thing is, you walk up into some of these neighborhoods, you can see the front steps to a concrete porch and beyond that, there's nothing.

And it goes on for several miles through the heart of this town of Dawson Springs -- Pamela?

BROWN: That is just so eerie.

Ed Lavandera, thank you so much.

CNN political commentator and Dawson Springs, Kentucky, native, Scott Jennings, joins me now.

Scott, I'm so sorry about what you're going through right now. This is your hometown. You know people who have lost their lives in the tornados.

[19:10:06]

I understand the tornados hit your childhood home and the homes of your family. How are you doing?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I'm OK. Thankful that my family that I've been able to reach throughout the day is OK.

My dad, thankfully, lives -- who lives right in the middle of town, was able to go to another house last night that had a basement and he rode out the storm in a basement.

But his house is not inhabitable now. There's some part of it left, but it's basically destroyed.

He lives on a little street called Oak Heights, which is one of the main residential arteries of Dawson Springs. And the house that I grew up in is gone.

Right across the street, my grandparents' house that I probably spent more time in than my home, is gone. And my dad was telling me earlier today that he was walking up and

down Oak Heights and he encountered a man who was standing at the end of his driveway looking back at where his house used to be and was just bawling.

My dad said he put his arm around him and said, well, it's going to be all right. You know, we're on the right side of the dirt still, despite all of this.

They had a little bit moment there where -- I heard Ed say people are stunned. I think that's what they were. Just stunning to see a place that looked the same way for decades, completely changed forever.

It's hard -- this is a little town. It's tight knit. It has one school. There's not a lot of industry there. Everybody knows everybody.

It's extremely rural. It's an old coal-mining town. This is a coal- mining part of west Kentucky. A religious town. A lot of church-goers there. Just a lot of inter-connectivity in the community.

And I've talked to enough people today to know how upset people are trying to scramble and find people they haven't been able to reach yet.

My dad told me there's an apartment complex, a street behind where he lives, and it's completely flattened. And he said that, if there were people in that when it went down, I don't know how they made it out.

Everywhere you look, it's devastation. The only thing to compare it to -- when I look at the pictures of it, I keep thinking about if you watched a World War II documentary or scenes from a war zone where bombs have gone off.

I'm sure you're seeing the same thing in Mayfield. I don't know what else to compare it to. It's so similar.

BROWN: It's so true. That is exactly -- what I think, the entire town is just gone.

I mean, last night, before this tornado moved through, before 9:30 p.m., this was full of cheer and Christmas lights and the town was full of life and soul and heart.

And then this tornado comes through and takes the entire town down. Decimated here in Mayfield, here where you grew up.

You think about the people, Scott, we're both from Kentucky and I just -- these are salt-of-the-earth people, right? Good people, kind people. That strong sense of community in those small towns that you were talking about.

And so it is -- they're fortunate to have each other, but this recovery in Dawson where you grew up, here in Mayfield, it's going to be a long time. JENNINGS: I don't know how to even begin to wrap my mind around

rebuilding. You think about just under normal circumstances, the building materials and supplies and what it takes to get something built today.

There's a lot of wait time in that under normal circumstances. And you think about the number of homes and businesses that have been devastated, I think about projecting out into the future, how long will it take to not rebuild one town, but several towns.

You're talking about a huge swath. And where will people go? As you know, on the ground there tonight, it's very cold. It's going to be colder still as we get into the winter here.

And even the homes that have some part of them left are not inhabitable. They've had their windows blown out. The roofs are gone. Housing is an issue. I think it's a long-term issue.

And thinking critically about how to get enough supplies and labor into western Kentucky to even begin thinking about how to rebuild is a mindbogglingly complex thing to think about.

My heart goes to all of these families. I know personally some of the names of people who I know have died in Dawson. I don't think they've been released yet. I know some of those families and grew up with some of their children.

So I -- by the way, one thing that hasn't been reported today, the town of Dawson Springs just a few weeks ago went through another trauma. They had a popular high school student -- he was a freshman in college. He had come home. He was killed in a car wreck.

The entire town was literally just at his funeral just a few days ago at the high school gymnasium. There's been this series of traumas in Dawson starting with that local boy's -- McKnight was his name. He died. They had the funeral.

[19:15:03]

And a few days later, they had this tornado. It's been one hit after another for that town.

BROWN: That's so much to just process. I can't imagine.

Scott, I'm sorry to hear about you lost people you knew from Dawson.

Thank you for coming on and for sharing your story and perspective on where you grew up.

JENNINGS: Yes, thank you.

And I do think, Pam, it's important that everybody should listen to the governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear.

He gave information today about how to help. There's a relief fund, Teamwkyrelieffund.ky.gov. That's the official unified place if you want to make a donation.

He also said there are critical blood shortages. If you happen to be in Kentucky and want to give blood, those are the two best ways to help, according to the governor. I think we should listen to what he says.

BROWN: I think that's so important to say. Also, as you know, Scott, often after a tragedy, there's so much focus right after it happens and then people's attention turns elsewhere.

But as you pointed out, this is going to be a very long road to recovery. And the people here in Kentucky and the other five states impacted by these tornados, they're going to need help for many weeks, months, perhaps years to come.

Thanks, again, Scott.

JENNINGS: Yes, thanks, Pam.

BROWN: Up next, a man who helped in the search of survivors. He dug in the rubble of the collapsed candle factory and saw people come out alive. He joins me right here on the scene in Mayfield, next.

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BROWN: Graves County Commissioner Todd Hayden is with me now.

Commissioner, you were helping in the search. This tornado moved through here in Mayfield around 9:30. You rushed here to the candle factory that, as we know, we've seen the pictures, it was decimated.

Tell us what you saw and experienced.

COMMISSIONER TODD HAYDEN (D-GRAVES COUNTY, KY): When you first walked up on it, you seen the destruction, it was nothing but a pile of rubble. You wondered how anybody could still be alive in there.

And knowing there were a lot of people in that place, a bunch of us went over and started trying to uncover what might be there.

A lot of first responders were showing up from different counties all around us and ended up being a whole lot of people there.

Once we got lights set up and we could see what we were doing -- and people from the inside of there were calling to people on the outside, trying to tell us their location. A lot of people would climb in there, find them.

I stayed on the outside and would help them climb down out of the rubble, let the first responders do most of the hard work inside because they were used to that.

Seeing people come out of that pile of rubble alive was amazing. You wondered how -- where they had been and how -- they just emerged all of a sudden out of somewhere, out of a hole.

We would send in saws and cutting tools to cut wires and bars and they would come up out of a hole. It was amazing.

We probably -- I'm going to say where I was at on my side, we probably rescued 10 to 20 people that came out of there. Some of them have broken ankles. One had a back injury. A lot of them were walking out kind of stunned or just in shock.

On the other side, there was a bunch calling from a bathroom that they had been in. And I could see people coming out of that hole on the other side and people were helping them out.

How they came out of that alive was unbelievable. It warmed your heart, to see them come out alive. But at the same time, it was total decimation. It was unbelievable and surreal.

BROWN: When you arrived on the scene, you thought likely no one. And you saw several people emerge alive. You said some had some broken ankle, a back. For the most part they emerged OK.

You said they were calling to tell people where they were. They were using their cell phones, right, to help the rescuers locate them?

HAYDEN: That's exactly right. Some people would come up and say my daughter just called me, she's over in so-and-so location. We would try to find them or get the first responders to that location and try to get that person out.

A lot of them were in groups. One guy that came out told me they all went to the center hallway and some of them went in the bathrooms. They knew it was coming. They're trying to get to the vest location they could so they all went to the center of the building.

So we would find pockets of them, two or three together, or four together sometimes.

So it was just remarkable, helping them out of there and coming out. Some of them were just ecstatic to be out of there. Some were in shock. It was just really amazing to see --

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: What did they say? Emerging from --

HAYDEN: Some of them would come out crying. They would see their husband or their father or whatever and they would immediately go to their arms and just fall in them.

Other people -- one lady was dancing, she was so happy to be out of there. I thought it was funny the way she was coming down through there. But it was -- it was amazing to see.

The first responders that came from the counties from around us was just amazing. And the support here has been like that all day long. I've helped today set up a shelter down the road in town called Fancy

Farm and the amount of people that have brought water, supplies and food and toiletries, that kind of things. We have piles of piles of it now. And it's just unbelievable.

BROWN: The people are incredible. I've been here a short time. I'm from Kentucky. Not from Mayfield. But the people here, clearly, there's a community spirit.

And even in the shock and the devastation, you can really feel that community spirit.

If you would, paint a picture for our viewers about, when you came to the scene of the candle factory, what did it look like? What was the devastation like?

We've seen that drone footage. But I can attest to the fact the video, the pictures, they're horrific. But when you get here on the scene, it's even -- it's even worse. You can't believe your eyes how bad it has.

[19:25:01]

HAYDEN: Yes, when I pulled up, it was pitch dark. There's no electricity. So you're walking, you're trying to get your bearings because things don't look the same now as they did yesterday.

And so I'm walking and I start seeing all of these tractors, which was -- they had a tractor in a place in front of the candle factory. I knew I was getting close to it but I couldn't see any buildings.

Then, you go over the hill and all you see is a pile of rubble and you think, if that the factory of not? The you see tractors and tractor tires and combines that had blew over and landed on top of that pile of rubble.

And someone said, that's the candle factory right there. I said, you've got to be kidding me. I mean, it was nothing but a pile of metal. It was shocking.

First thing I did when I seen this, I started praying, first of all. And me and another guy went on down that way and just started trying to listen for people and try to dig things out, just to see what we could find.

But it was just really -- it's a shocking thing to walk up on.

BROWN: It is. And I know that the focus right now is to try to find survivors and help those victims.

But there are a lot of unanswered questions. The warnings had come through the day on there could be tornados.

Can you give us so much insight on why there were so many people there at 9:30 at night when they knew tornados could be coming through and clearly there was no basement, right? HAYDEN: Yes, clearly, there was no basement, I don't believe. I've

never been inside the factory before it was blown down.

You know, they were giving warnings and things all day. But generally, factories just don't shut down because there may be a tornado coming, possibly, I'm assuming. They were just doing their normal shift work.

And you know, they had probably had the news on and different things so they knew it was coming and they knew to get to the interior part of it, according to one guy that I talked to.

They were trying to get to the best location in the place, not knowing it was going -- I'm guessing it's going to be an EF-5 and not knowing they were going to get a direct hit, I'm sure.

I'm sure it was just a shock to them when they got hit.

BROWN: So heartbreaking. They're there working hard and then the building decimated.

We're fortunate for people like you who are helping with the rescue efforts.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Thank you. I know there were.

And thank you so much. I'm really sorry about what's happened in your hometown.

HAYDEN: Thank you.

BROWN: Absolutely.

Commissioner Todd Hayden.

We're expecting a live update from the governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee, at any moment.

Meantime, eyewitnesses say the devastation on the ground is, frankly, beyond belief. As I'm telling you right now.

This man, who lives in Graves County, Kentucky, says he's never seen anything like it. The courthouse gone, one of the biggest businesses obliterated, homes smashed apart by this incredibly violent storm. Jamie shares his story with us when we come back.

You're watching CNN.

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[19:32:19]

BROWN: The Governor of Tennessee speaking right now. Let's listen in.

GOV. BILL LEE (R-TN): ...the western half from central to the western half of the state to survive damage and to talk to folks on the ground, a very heartbreaking and difficult day for the state of Tennessee.

Tremendous devastation in multiple locations. We toured sites in Dickson County and Stewart County, in Lake County, Obion County, Weakley County, and there is much damage from one end of this from the center of our state to the other end.

We -- in just a minute Alex Pelham will -- from TEMA will give you details about numbers and statistics, but I can just tell you that it's been a very difficult day for many of our neighbors here in our State and neighbors in surrounding States.

We are reminded that in just a moment, lives are lost, livelihoods are lost, and lives are changed forever and we saw that across our state today. It was a very difficult day, but I will say as well that there was an immediate response from law enforcement, from first responders across the state and an immediate response from the communities there as well.

People reaching out we saw it, like Tennessee to come alongside their neighbors, a great deal of hope in the midst of real devastation in our state. There is much work to be done and has just begun.

The cleaning up and the beginning to rebuild, but clearly, there is -- there is much to do, but there is much hope for it being done. I will -- I want to have Alex Pelham come up. He will talk about the details of what we saw on the ground today, and then we'll answer questions.

I also have General Holmes with our National Guard. We have troops ready to be deployed if necessary in places, but Alex, why don't you come up?

ALEX PELHAM, CHIEF OF STAFF, TEMA: Thank you, Governor Lee. Alex Pelham, Chief Staff. TEMA.

Just to expound a little bit on what the Governor said, we went out today, it was very apparent. You could see the damage that had happened. It's very -- it's very difficult to explain in a few words here at the press conference, but I'm going to try and give you some numbers of what we have confirmed and we'll move forward.

[19:35:03]

PELHAM: Working with our local partners and our state partners, we are currently doing damage assessments, currently analyzing what's going on in the field. As of right now, as of 1800, we have four confirmed fatalities with this weather event. There is also one missing currently still in Lake County.

We had 10 that were considered injured and transported and 64 that are considered walking and wounded, that we have. From a power outage standpoint, we still have roughly 63,000 without power here in State of Tennessee.

You know, with that, like I said, these numbers are going to be ongoing. They are going to be changing as we continue to work with our local partners, and our other state partners to get more up to date information through damage assessments.

Thank you.

LEE: I want to add to that, with those numbers of loss of life, there certainly could have been much more and one of the things that we noticed today, and I want to -- I just want to reiterate and remind people, there was a very strong warning effort in many of these communities.

The residents of those communities were notified of the danger and notified of the imminence of the storms, and in many of the cases, we know that there were significant evacuations in the communities. And we really know that that reduced the loss of life in our state. So I just want to, I just want to remind people that being prepared and heeding warnings, it is very clear today that that was a part of why we had the limited amount of loss of life, in spite of the significant amount of damage.

We had communities that were wiped out in the storms and the fact that we had as few losses as tragic as those are, there could have significantly been more so.

I want to thank those who were -- and our first responders who were responsible for providing warnings across our State and for Tennesseans and for heeding those warnings.

So we're happy to answer any questions, again, Alex and General Holmes or myself.

QUESTION: I just want to (INAUDIBLE).

LEE: You know there's a lot of damage in multiple areas. Certainly, in Lake County, there is significant damage. The loss of life occurred in Lake County and just across the border in Obion County that that storm hit in one area on the border of Lake and Obion.

The town of Dresden in Weakly County, the downtown area of that beautiful town is significantly damaged. Multiple buildings, many historic buildings will be likely destroyed. So that the town of Dresden -- it is a very heartbreaking scene in the town of Dresden.

A beautiful Tennessee town that has seen significant damage. But again, when you look at that, that town and the amount of damage that occurred and that, as we know, there are no fatalities in Weakly County as a result of this storm. That is because people were prepared and they did the right thing in that community and folks went into shelter and they had shelters set up so it was heartwarming to see that piece in the midst of the heartbreaking scene of the town being so damaged.

BROWN: You were just listening there to the Governor of Tennessee and we are hearing more incredible stories from people who survived the deadly tornadoes. We're going to share them with you, up next. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:43:44]

BROWN: I am Pamela Brown reporting live from Mayfield, Kentucky tonight after a deadly string of tornadoes, devastated towns across the Midwest and South East killing an estimated 70 percent or more in Kentucky alone right here where I am. That is according to the State's Governor.

With me now on the phone is Jamie Sears Rawlings, she lives here in graves County just a little over 10 miles from where I'm standing.

Jamie, tell us where were you when these tornadoes hit? What did you see? What did you hear?

JAMIE SEARS RAWLINGS, GRAVES COUNTY, KENTUCKY RESIDENT (via phone): Mercifully, Pamela, my family was home safe. We were just north of the path of the storm, but it was -- it was devastating as a family to watch the path of the storm go right over the houses where we knew that our friends, where we knew that our neighbors were, where we knew that our loved ones were, so we had to tough night making sure that everyone we loved in Graves County and across Western Kentucky was sheltered and was secure.

BROWN: And when you came here to Mayfield where I am right now, what did you see? I mean, this is a town with a rich history, with a rich community, decorated for Christmas preparing for all kinds of events -- community events for Christmas and then it is decimated. What was that like for you?

[19:45:12]

RAWLINGS: Pamela, it is heartbreaking. Our community really had started to come back together after the pandemic. We had a wonderful string of community events in October where we were together as a community and seeing today, our community was once again together, but this was not the way that we wanted to spend our Holiday together.

It is devastating and heartbreaking to see our historic 200-year-old Town Square completely demolished. It is horrible to see our churches gone, the places that we worship together. It's been -- it has been a very -- it's a gut-wrenching day. Every time you leave right out of the path, and then you come back, it hits you all over again.

BROWN: And we knew that there were warning throughout the day that there could be tornadoes coming through, but I imagine the magnitude of this tornado, the power, strength caught most people by surprise, right?

RAWLINGS: Absolutely, absolutely. I knew that we were -- we were seeing warnings. But we have never, in this area faced a disaster of this magnitude. There was a no way in many, many people's minds for us to prepare mentally for this. This is not something that we were -- we could have prepared for. We didn't know that it would be this big at all. And even while it was happening, there were local news anchors who did

a great job of keeping us informed. They were saying this is unprecedented. This is unprecedented, and it truly is. This is not something that I believe anyone could have seen coming.

BROWN: Jamie Sears Rawlings, thank you for coming on sharing your experience. I'm glad that you and your family are doing okay in the wake of this.

RAWLINGS: Thank you, and Pamela, we feel the love from across the nation. And that's mostly on behalf of you guys and the other news stations that are here supporting us. So on behalf of Mayfield and Graves County, we feel the love from everyone tonight and we appreciate it.

BROWN: We're so glad to hear that. Hopefully that love will continue to pour in because I know a lot of you are wanting to know what more you can do to help the victims of this tragedy.

You can go to the CNN Impact or world site to learn more about verified ways to be able to give back. That will be updated as more information on resources becomes available, but you can go there right now visit cnn.com/impact to help.

Our Breaking News continues with former FEMA Director Craig Fugate, who joins me live in a moment.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:52:30]

BROWN: I'm Pamela Brown live in Mayfield, Kentucky where the devastation from a series of powerful tornadoes is just staggering. Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear says at least 70 people are feared dead. He predicts that that number will be above 100 by morning.

Earlier, President Biden approved the Governor's Federal emergency requests, freeing up tens of millions of dollars of emergency funds.

Near St. Louis, officials now confirm six people died inside an Amazon warehouse that collapsed and as the storms continue to wreak havoc across multiple other states. The President says he is prepared to approve whatever Federal help is needed.

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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is one of those times when we aren't Democrats or Republicans. It sounds like hyperbole, but it's real. We're all Americans. We stand together as the United States of America.

I promise you, whatever is needed, whatever is needed, the Federal government is going to find a way to supply it.

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BROWN: Meanwhile, FEMA is sending emergency response teams to assess the damage and find out where help is needed.

Let's discuss that with former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. Craig, I'm here in Mayfield, Kentucky. And you just wonder, as you look around and survey the damage, where do you even begin? If you're FEMA, you come here. Where do you begin?

CRAIG FUGATE, FORMER FEMA DIRECTOR: Well, FEMA just doesn't show up, they are working with the State and the Governor. They already have been working supporting the Governor's request in each of the states. And for FEMA, it is really -- one of the things that are going to be needed next, most of the search and rescue is being coordinated and handled by State and local officials. So FEMA starts thinking, okay, what do we need to be thinking about tomorrow and the next day?

And something is going to becoming a critical issue in some of these communities is going to be housing. Where are people going to stay? You know, the Red Cross and others are opening up emergency shelters, but people won't be able to go back anytime soon. Their homes are destroyed.

So part of this will be also things like temporary housing, putting people up in hotels and motels in the area so that they can get situated as they start that recovery process.

BROWN: Right. I mean, they're going to need long-term housing. It is going to take a long time to recover.

We do know that FEMA teams have begun to arrive in Kentucky to assist. If you would tell us a little bit more about what that looks like, what resources does a FEMA deployment bring to bear?

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FUGATE: Well, it is a combination of things. In this case, they are also deploying additional urban search and rescue teams and some of the team for management of those teams, we are deploying communication equipment. Some of these areas are having hard -- you know, hard time and communications, so they bring in communication teams and they are sending teams to start working with State and local officials about everything from completing the search and rescue to getting the debris picked up, and then start looking at the needs for temporary housing.

The other things that will be required just to get this stabilized before we even get to the part of, you know, we start talking about, you know, the recovery. These are all things that are happening over the next couple of days and the next couple of weeks that FEMA is bringing folks in and equipment in to support.

BROWN: You have been an advocate for enacting public policy to prepare for these disasters. What sort of measures do you think would have helped prevent what we're seeing right now in my home State of Kentucky? FUGATE: Well, you know, with the wind damage, it is very difficult to

build homes that can withstand these very powerful tornadoes, and you're seeing homes that were reduced to the slab.

But we do know that new construction and rebuilding, we can build safer homes for tornadoes. And when I was at FEMA, this was something that President Obama strongly supported was, we shouldn't be rebuilding public buildings and schools without tornado shelters in them, and FEMA will fund that.

So I think as we rebuild, we need to provide somewhere safe for people to go when there is a tornado warning, when there is a tornado threat. And as we're seeing, tornadoes are not just isolated in what used to be Tornado Alley, it's getting to where it's something that we should be doing as we are rebuilding our buildings, is making sure they're in these extreme wind events.

The occupants of that building, whether it's your home, a school, a business, have somewhere safe to go during the tornado. I mean, how many times you've been in airports where you've seen bathrooms identified as tornado shelters or they've been hardened?

This isn't hard to do, but it's something I think, as a nation should really think about. We need safe places for people to go because you often only have minutes to get somewhere safe in a tornado.

BROWN: You do, and we know tornadoes are not going away. You heard Biden -- President Biden say this is one of the largest tornado outbreaks in this country's history. And it's just devastating. And you're absolutely right, more should be done to protect people in the event of a tornado.

Craig Fugate, thank you so much.

We've got more breaking news coverage just ahead.

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