According to Kentucky State Police, the public is still asked to remain out of the area, due to continued safety concerns associated with electrical lines. Electric Company representatives are continuing to work to fully restore power to the area.
Current road closures include Highway 125 from Montgomery School Road to Highway 94, Highway 1099 by-pass from Highway 94 to Highway 125, and Myron Cory Drive from Highway 125 to Highway 1099 by-pass. These road closures are anticipated to remain through the night.
The Kentucky Office of Emergency Management has deployed two teams for damage assessment, and anticipate two more teams arriving tomorrow. They plan to work through the weekend.
The National Weather Service has arrived on scene and has begun their assessment, which includes determining wind speeds, cause and path of damage. They anticipate a full report prior to tomorrow morning’s briefing.
Construction debris and sheet metal can be placed (separated) in large containers located across from Hickman City Hall on 7th Street. Another similar location is anticipated to be opened at the intersection of Myron Street at 7th Street.
Hickman/Fulton County is not accepting donations at this time. The American Red Cross is maintaining a shelter at First Methodist Church, Wellington Street, Hickman, Kentucky.
Some inmates housed at the Fulton County Detention Center have been temporarily relocated to neighboring correctional facilities following storm damage to the facility, after the building sustained roof damage. Officials there reported to the Department of Corrections that 80 inmates were temporarily relocated.
Earlier Story:
The town of Hickman and Fulton County were the center of the most serious storm damage that occurred in western Kentucky on Thursday night.
An apparent tornado snapped trees and brought down utility poles across Fulton County. Downtown Hickman had extensive damage to a gas station canopy, as well as the Fulton County Jail. A home carport collapsed, and many buildings received damage. Power lines came down across most of the highways in Hickman, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Fulton County authorities are asking the public to stay away from the damaged areas today.
There have been no injuries reported.
Ten miles west of Hickman, 85-mile per hour wind gusts snapped trees and utility poles, and similar damage occurred east of town where a trained weather spotter reported a funnel cloud to the National Weather Service.
Hundreds are without power in and around the Hickman area, according to Gibson Electric. The storms continued eastward through Graves, Calloway and Trigg counties with several reports of one-inch hail.
Earlier in the evening, a number of funnel clouds were sighted in southeast Missouri before the storms moved across the Mississippi River into Kentucky.
Kentucky State Police has released the following information regarding the damage in Hickman:
+ Highway 125 in the city of Hickman is closed.
+ An emergency operations center (EOC) has been established, with Fulton County Emergency Management Director Hugh Caldwell as the Incident Commander. The EOC is located at the Fulton County Office Building, 2210 Myron Cory Drive, Hickman, Kentucky. Phone lines are not operational at the EOC, so anyone with information is asked to report it in person at the EOC.
+ Numerous homes, several businesses, two government buildings, and a cemetery sustained heavy damage.
+ Judge Executive Jim Martin has signed a Declaration of Local State of Emergency. Kentucky Office of Emergency Management is on scene and will be conducting damage assessment for several days.
+ The American Red Cross has established a shelter at the First Methodist Church, on the corner of Church Street and Wellington Street.
+ The National Weather Service are expected to arrive on scene today.
+ There still are no injuries or deaths reported associated with this severe weather event.
+ Officials are asking the public to remain out of the area if at all possible.
+ Numerous power lines are down and could present a hazard.
+ If or when the EOC determines a need for volunteers, they will release a reporting location.
On the Net:
Paducah Weather Service webpage
