First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers are with our city employees, friends, and neighbors who live in Mayfield, Cayce, Marshall County, and other communities that were devastated by last night’s tornado. In watching the news, a local meteorologist last night said that this was a “life changing tornado.” Those words are so true. I have just returned from Mayfield where I observed first-hand the devastation. Lives have been lost, families are hurting, and we all are struggling to make sense out of this storm.
As Paducah’s Mayor, I have been in close contact with City Manager Daron Jordan who has been leading the coordination of the ways that Paducah can provide assistance. Today, we have been reaching out to our City employees who live in the affected areas. Also, we have provided support from Paducah’s police and fire departments in an effort to help Mayfield with its emergency response. In addition, Paducah is providing 911 dispatching for Mayfield until their system is back up and running.
I have spoken with Mayfield Mayor Kathy O’Nan and offered Paducah’s ongoing support and assistance as they work through the devastating losses. Today, we are all in shock, but we recognize that this will be a long-term response and recovery effort that must be highly coordinated. Paducah is here to help all of our neighbors in any way that we can.
Date of release: December 11, 2021
