A town destroyed: The grim aftermath in Mayfield, Kentucky

A sign rests in the front yard of a destroyed residence devastated by a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 14. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A tree stands in front of a destroyed residence in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 14. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A U.S. flag is tied to a fallen tree in front of a destroyed residence in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 14. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A destroyed vehicle sits in the aftermath of a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 13. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Whitney Toon, 15, searches for mementos and photo albums in a family member’s home in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 13. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Nicolaus Kruse, 23, stands amongst the rubble of the home he grew up in, in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 131.  REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Alisha hands her sister Aziza salvaged items from their destroyed home in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 13. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A destroyed vehicle sits in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 13. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Men salvage furniture in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 13. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A water tower for the town is seen destroyed in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 13. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Men clear debris from their vehicle in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A general view from a bedroom window inside the home of the Cato family in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Timothy McDill, 48, hugs his neighbor Marge Conner, 77, in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. Neither had seen each other since before the night of the storm and had been concerned about the others safety and survival. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

A U.S. flag is tied to a fallen tree in front of a destroyed residence in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 13. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Bridget Avery embraces her friend Derrick Starks after helping him retrieve family mementos and a photo album from the destroyed home of Starks' uncle, in the aftermath of a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12.   REUTERS/Adrees Latif/File...more

The Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory is seen in the aftermath of a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

De-Erik, 14, helps Creed, 9, climb through wreckage while recovering belongings, from a home where a toddler died the night of the storm, in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Braelyn Todd, 8, holds her dog Abner, a Yorkshire Terrier, as her parents help a family member clear debris from their destroyed home in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12.  REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Television news lights illuminate a destroyed home in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Jay Harrison, 19, carries a cross he made out of debris in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Angela Wheeler, 41, and Ronald Wheeler, 40, stand outside their home in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. The couple took shelter inside their home the night of the storm. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Rick Foley, 70, displays a painting of his deceased wife, which he was able to retrieve from the wreckage of his home, in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. “I was in the middle of it, just trying to pull the pieces together now,” said Rick who...more

A general view of damage and debris after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several U.S. states, in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

A general view of damage and debris of a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Irene Noltner consoles Jody O'Neill outside The Lighthouse, a women and children's shelter that was destroyed, in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11, 2021.  Matt Stone/USA TODAY NETWORK

Christopher Bowlin, 24, sits by a fire outside his home to boil eggs and stay warm in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11  REUTERS/Cheney Orr

People work inside a destroyed home in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

People retrieve merchandise from a store in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11.  REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Janet Kimp, 66, and her son Michael Kimp, 25 stand outside their home after collecting belongings in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11.   REUTERS/Cheney Orr

A USPS mail truck is seen badly damaged in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11.  REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Vicky Fichter, 63, smokes a cigarette while sitting inside her car which had its windows blown out in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Timothy McDill, 48, who continues to spend the night inside his home to protect it from looters stands in his living room while looking out over the damage and debris, in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

People search inside a destroyed home in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Rick Foley, 70, sits outside his home in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. "I was in the middle of it, just trying to pull the pieces together now," said Rick who survived the storm crouched in a doorway inside his home. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Water gushes from a broken pipe inside at the site of a nursing home in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

People walk past destroyed businesses in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12.  REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A lone bookshelf stands amid the rubble as people pick through and clean debris in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

A man clears debris from the leveled roof of Carr's Steakhouse in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Janet Kimp, 66, and her son Michael Kimp, 25, collect belongings in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11.  REUTERS/Cheney Orr

An aerial view of damage in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

A general view of a hallway inside a nursing home in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

An aerial view of damage in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

A general view of damage and debris in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

A person walks past a couple clearing debris from the driveway of their property which was destroyed in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Businesses are seen destroyed in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 12.  REUTERS/Adrees Latif

A classic car is seen in a bodyshop in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Janet Kimp, 66, cries while recounting how she survived the storm in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. "The wind was blowing so hard I nearly fell. I got here in the hallway, and we got down over our dogs and we were both praying, I mean praying. And...more

Janet Kimp, 66, climbs out where there once was a widow at her home in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Chris Reed, 23, makes an adjustment under his truck before attempting to drive it out of a pile of debris in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11.  REUTERS/Cheney Orr

The damage and debris at a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

A man bikes through town in the aftermath in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11.  REUTERS/Cheney Orr

Christian Paintner, 22, looks for belongings inside his home which had the roof torn off in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11.  REUTERS/Cheney Orr

An aerial view of damage in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

A sign welcoming visitors to the town of Mayfield after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several U.S. states, in Mayfield, Kentucky, December 11. REUTERS/Cheney Orr