13 dead, more than 100 unaccounted for after tornado rips through Dawson Springs, Ky.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Thirteen people are confirmed dead and more than 100 are unaccounted for after a tornado ripped through the small town of Dawson Springs, Ky. on Friday night.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday he expects the death toll from the weekend’s devastating storms to exceed 100 in his state.

Among the victims were individuals ranging 34 years old to 86 years old.

“This is the deadliest tornado that we have had. I think it is going to be the longest and deadliest tornado event in U.S. history,” Beshear told CNN Sunday.

When asked about how many Kentuckians are unaccounted for, Beshear did not provide a number but said in Dawson Springs alone, the list of the missing is eight pages long, single-spaced. The city has approximately 2,700 residents.

IMAGES: Damage in western Kentucky after Dec. 10-11, 2021 tornadoes

Officials estimate that 75% of Dawson Springs is gone.

"Getting back to an inkling of normal could be awhile," Hopkins County Judge-Executive Jack Whitfield said.

Water is expected to return to the city soon, but it remains unclear when gas and electric will be restored, Whitfield said.

“I’ve got towns that are gone – that are just, I mean, gone,” Beshear said on CNN Sunday morning. “I mean you go door-to-door to check on people and see if they’re okay. There are no doors. The question is, is there somebody in the rubble of thousands upon thousands of structures? I mean, it’s devastating.”

Dawson Springs resident Gene Kimmel feels lucky to be alive after he was rescued after being trapped for 30 minutes.

"And then the storm came and that was the first thing to go," Kimmel said while pointing to his roof. "Then that part of the house went, glass shattered...we were trapped under the sheet rock.

"I've never witnessed anything like this. It's really, really bad."

The director of Kentucky Emergency Management said Sunday that officials believe the catastrophic storm that devastated parts of the state over the weekend had a track of around 217 miles. Michael Dossett said the “massive recovery effort” is focused largely in Graves, Mayfield, Dawson Springs, and Bowling Green.

Dossett said the level of destruction across the state is cataclysmic. The governor said rescue efforts are going well with federal and local partners pouring in to help comb through “the massive, widespread damage.”

"The good Lord saved us. It was a terrible thing to go through," Kimmel said. "It was just awful, but we survived it and I hope a lot of my neighbors did too."

If you know someone in the Dawson Springs area, and have not heard from them, the city is expected to setup a missing persons hotline on Monday. That number is 270-825-5024.

FEMA is now accepting applications for assistance. Visit http://disasterassistance.gov or call 800-621-3362 for more information.

For more resources for those affected by the tornado in Hopkins County, click here.

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