100th home dedicated since destructive tornado

Governor Andy Beshear and local leaders gathered Thursday in Mayfield to present keys to the 100th new home built for tornado survivors.

 Beshear handed over the keys to Jamie Wallace and her family in front of the home on Mercy Drive.

More than 124 projects are completed, under construction, or approved to start construction with the support of nearly $8 million from the fund.

"Thank you to each of the 150,000 donors who helped make this milestone possible, " said Beshear. 

The Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund provided $100,000 to help build the home. 

In total, $21.6 million has been committed from the fund to build or significantly repair 300 homes. Nonprofit building partners include The Hope Initiative, Habitat for Humanity, Homes & Hope for Kentucky, Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders, The Mayfield/Graves Fuller Center for Housing, and The Mayfield/Graves Long-Term Recovery Group.

Launched a few days after the tornadoes in December 2021, the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund has raised more than $52 million with donations from more than 150,000 individuals and businesses. 

The money raised helped pay funeral expenses for the families of the deceased and assisted survivors and local farmers. 

In April 2022, through nonpartisan work with the General Assembly, Gov. Beshear also established the $120 million Western Kentucky State Aid Funding for Emergencies, or SAFE, Fund to assist with tornado recovery.