Mayfield: The building is flattened, the car is upside down, a torn tree from the ground – there is a late-of-the-world scene in a small Kentucky city of Mayfield.
Stunned and shocked, the residents were trying to understand the extent of the damage caused by a series of tornadoes that hit six US states, killing more than 80 people.
On Broadway, the main road in this city 10,000 people, the old red brick building that was once a source of local pride was destroyed by the storm.
The city court building is missing part of the roof, as well as a tower and clock.
Two nearby churches were badly damaged.
One of them lost the roof.
The Mitchell Fowler restaurant is a family business for almost four decades, until the tornado destroys it.
The window was blown out, the kitchen was broken, the roof was torn, and the part of the exterior wall fell.
On Friday, after the anniversary of the Tornado from the local government, Fowler closed the restaurant around 8:00, told his employees to go home and leave for his own home about 8 miles (13 kilometers) outside the city.
“Before I got home, it was gone,” said Fowler restaurant.
“This is a family business for 38 years of my restaurant, I lifted my family here, all of my children worked here.
It crushed,” Fowler AFP said.
With strength in some parts of Mayfield, Fowler spent Saturday donating food that would go bad in his refrigerator.
“We try to help people in need,” he said.
Fowler gets some good news.
One of his brother-in-law among 100 employees was trapped in a local candle plant after the roof collapsed during the storm.
He was pulled from the debris on Saturday morning.
“He lives, he is in the hospital,” Fowler said.
“We are safe, we are good and God is still in control.” The candle factory is also a family business and the work is in a full swing there as a close holiday.
Emergency respondents combed the ruins on Saturday, eliminating the body, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.
Forty people have been saved, but the hopes of dimming for those who are still trapped.
“It will be a miracle if there are other people who are found to be alive,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Besheet Journalist before Saturday.
Fowler, 70, said he would not rebuild his business and instead would retire.
Next to the restaurant, dozens of cars lie upside down or turn to the side.
An old green and white car magically left intact by the storm, but the roof of the garage that holds away.
Tornado brought havoc over the strip of about one kilometer wide, across the city from west to east.
Torn electric pole littered ground.
“It looks like a bomb has exploded in our society,” said Mayfield residents of Alex Goodman AFP.
“We know it will come, but we have no place to go,” said David Norseworthy, 69, residents who worked in construction.
“We’ve ever had something like this here.” house, a few blocks from downtown, no longer have a roof or terrace, but the family was spared.
“We stand in a shelter for about seven minutes, and it’s more.
Come and go as fast as that,” Norseworthy said.
“We know it will come, but we have no place to go.
We have never had something like this here.” emergency responders cleared the way for traffic, but piles of debris still piled up near the sidewalk, making driving slow and difficult.
Volunteers distributed water, food, diapers and warm clothing for the residents ahead of what meteorologists say will be a cold night.