‘Y’all pray for Mayfield’: Town grieves in tornado aftermath

By CLAIRE GALOFARO
AP National Writer

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — Survivors of one of the devastating tornadoes that cut a long path of destruction through the Midwest and South are grappling with ruins all around them in Mayfield, Kentucky. Mayfield has 10,000 residents, and it was one of the worst-hit towns in the unusual mid-December spate of twisters. Hundreds of buildings were reduced to nothing. Streets are littered with snapped trees, clothes, chunks of insulation and blown-away Christmas decorations. The fire station is inoperable, most police cars destroyed. At least eight people working at a candle factory were killed. Eight more are missing. It’s still unclear how many in Mayfield died.