Kentucky couple survives tornado sheltering in closet with 7-year-old grandson: "He was so scared"
It was merciless, unrelenting and indiscriminate in its power. The monstrous tornado that tore through Kentucky left death and destruction in its path.
It first touched down in central Arkansas Friday night and is believed to have stayed on the ground for at least 227 miles, mostly through western Kentucky, where dozens are feared to have died.
"We're still finding bodies. I mean, we've got cadaver dogs in towns that they shouldn't have to be in," Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said.
There was a glimmer of hope that the death toll at a candle factory in Mayfield may not be as high as once expected. The candle company said Sunday eight people were confirmed dead, eight were missing and more than 90 others had been located.
But it's hard to find a part of the city that was spared. Some of the devastating scenes include a church taken down to the studs, cars stacked on top of each other with windows blown out and roofs ripped off homes and businesses.
One of those homes was Robert and Karima Bright's.
"Our bedroom was right here, that was the wall right there," Robert told "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell.
All that's left of their home is a small closet. It was the only one in their home and where they rode out the storm with their 7-year-old grandson.
"He was so scared," Karima said. "I said we're going to be okay, we're going to make it. Just hold on, hold on, hold on."
And when it was over, their late son's Bible was the first thing they found in the wreckage.
Karima told O'Donnell it means "more than my life" that they found the Bible. She credits God for saving them.
"It's all God because he saved us in that closet," she said.
The Brights said they have no savings and are in need of immediate assistance.
They're not alone.
"We're gonna have over 1,000 homes that are just gone," Beshear said.
That's why President Biden approved an emergency disaster declaration for Kentucky on Saturday.
FEMA director Deanne Criswell and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visited the candle factory Sunday.
"I'm just taken aback by the level of devastation and the trauma that so many people have suffered," Mayorkas said. "We learned of a cell phone that had 27 missed messages on it, which speaks of a loved one trying to reach someone in the factory."
They didn't find who that cell phone belonged to.
Amidst all the devastation, there was also resilience.
"We're going to grieve together. We're going to dig out and clean up together. And we will rebuild and move forward together," Governor Beshear said. "We're gonna get through this together because that is what we do."
