Mayfield residents say presidential visit brings hope to small town

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In a small Kentucky town, there's heartbreak and homes destroyed, but there's also hope in Mayfield.

President Joe Biden toured two Kentucky towns Wednesday, including Mayfield, that were devastated by recent tornadoes.

A growing memorial with flowers and photos of tornado victims lines a fence nearly a block long outside the Graves County courthouse. A company donated the flowers, and members of the community continue to add to it.

Eight people died inside the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory and at least 74 died across the state.

At least another 100 Kentucky residents remain missing.

Not far from the memorial, neighborhoods are completely demolished, siding is wrapped around trees and the Mayfield water town is torn from its foundation and sitting upside down.

Walking along the growing memorial in front of the courthouse in Mayfield. Tons of flowers, wreaths and candles surround the pictures of those who died. It stretches nearly the entire block @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/v071UD3L0q
— Jordan Morton (@jeamorton) December 16, 2021

"It's so emotional," Mayfield resident Trina Cruze said. "Everything we have ever known is gone."

"At first I thought it was a nightmare, but I'm just grateful we have our house," Blaine Phillips added.

At a briefing with state, federal and local officials at the Mayfield airport, Biden said that immediately after a disaster is when people are "really, really moving and trying to help each other and trying to get things done."

"But after a month, after six weeks, after two months, people can get themselves to the point where they get very depressed about what's going on — particularly our young kids, particularly people who've lost somebody," he said. "And so I just want you to know the help that we're able to offer at the federal level is not just now."

Biden has authorized the federal government to cover 100% of the state's emergency response spending for the first 30 days.

Mayfield residents hope FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) also comes to Mayfield and brings mobile homes similar to the ones that were used during Hurricane Katrina.

Howard said the presidential visit gave her community hope on Wednesday.

“I think it’s needed in this time not only to see the damage and assess the damage, but for hope for the community," she said. "This is a small town so to have President Biden here that’s a big deal, a lot of people needed that right now."