'We will dig out' says Beshear, as death toll hits 77 from tornadoes in Kentucky

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky’s death toll from a line of tornadoes that tore through the state has increased to 77, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday.

The most recent death was recorded in Lyon County, which had not previously reported any casualties. The National Weather Service recorded at least 41 tornadoes in the Midwest on Dec. 11, including 16 in Tennessee and eight in Kentucky.

As of Friday, only one person remained missing, in Hopkins County, Beshear said. He called that “incredible news” during a briefing Friday ahead of a blood drive in the rotunda of the state Capitol building.

"As we sit here almost one week to the day after the worst tornado disaster the state has ever seen, we are digging out," said Gov. Beshear. "Yes, we are down. Yes, we are hurting, but we are not defeated and we are not broken. Together, we will dig out; together, we will clean up; and together, we will rebuild both structures and lives."

IMAGES | Tornadoes devastate dozens of cities in western Kentucky

More than 1,300 state workers and Kentucky National Guard members have been mobilized to areas hit by the storms, which cut a 200-mile path through Kentucky. The mission for the Guard is shifting from search-and-recovery to helping law enforcement prevent looting.

Beshear traveled to Taylor County Friday afternoon to see damage first-hand, as volunteers descend on the area to clear rubble and help residents find resources they need.

"Having that many other people out there in this community, around this community, and around this country stepping up for us. Right. For us. The whole world is trying to help Kentucky right now, and as hard as it is to understand why us, it's pretty special how people are treating us," Beshear said.