An initial state assessment finds it could cost more than $59 million to clean up more than 1.5 million cubic yards of debris from buildings and vegetation damaged by a tornado that tore through Somerset and London last week.
That’s according to a letter that Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear sent to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, requesting approval for an expedited major disaster declaration to help recover from storms across the state. The letter noted the damage and 19 deaths were primarily from an EF4 tornado with a maximum wind speed of 170 miles per hour that tore through Pulaski and Laurel counties. The letter also estimated around 1,500 homes have been destroyed or have sustained major damage.
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