The Latest: Deadly tornado confirmed in Kentucky

The Latest: Deadly tornado confirmed in Kentucky


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CHARLESTON, W.V. (AP) — The Latest on severe weather that moved through parts of the US (all times local):

3:15 p.m.

Storm crews have confirmed an EF2 tornado struck in south central Kentucky where a woman died at her home.

The National Weather Service says preliminary information from ongoing damage surveys in Logan County indicate the tornado Saturday had maximum-sustained winds of 135 mph (217 kph) and a maximum width of 400 yards (366 meters).

The Logan County Sheriff's Office says 79-year-old Dallas Jane Combs died after the tornado destroyed her Adairville home. Sheriff officials said Combs was inside the home when it collapsed on her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities say Combs' husband was outside putting up plastic to keep rain out of the home when he was blown into the basement area. He sustained minor injuries.

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2:40 p.m.

Southwestern Michigan authorities say they found the body of a man in floodwaters.

Kalamazoo Public Safety Lt. David Thomas said the body was found floating in water Sunday on the city's east side. He said the medical examiner, detectives and others have been on the scene working to determine who the man was, what he was doing there and the cause of his death.

Thomas says the death doesn't appear suspicious.

Thomas adds the area saw significant flooding. Kalamazoo has been among the areas hard hit by flooding from last week's heavy rains and melting snow.

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2:15 p.m.

Authorities in western Kentucky say they've found a body inside a submerged vehicle.

The Henderson Fire Department says on its Facebook page that it assisted in the recovery of the body inside a vehicle in a ditch. The Gleaner reports the body was found Saturday night near Morganfield, Kentucky.

The body has been sent to a medical examiner for an autopsy.

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12:45 p.m.

Storm crews have confirmed an EF2 tornado touched down in Middle Tennessee over the weekend.

The National Weather Service in Nashville, Tennessee, says the tornado with maximum-sustained winds of 120 mph (193 kph) hit near Clarksville on Saturday.

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Sandra Brandon told The Leaf-Chronicle that at least four homes were destroyed and dozens of others were damaged. She says 75 cars also were damaged at a tire plant parking lot.

Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett said Sunday that "to look at what I'm looking at and know we didn't lose anybody is just a miracle."

During the storm, a teenage girl was hit by falling debris at a basketball game after an apparent lightning strike knocked a hole in the arena's roof at Austin Peay State University. She was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

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12 p.m.

A university official in Tennessee say a teenage girl was injured by falling debris at a basketball game after an apparent lightning strike.

Media outlets report lightning hit the roof at the basketball arena Saturday night at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. Water leaked onto the court, and fans at the game between Austin Peay and Murray State took shelter in nearby hallways and athletic offices.

The game was halted for more than three hours while the court was cleaned up.

School director of marketing and digital media Kevin Young says the 15-year-old girl was taken to a hospital as a precaution. The extent of her injuries weren't immediately released.

Clarksville is about 48 miles (77 kilometers) northwest of Nashville, Tennessee.

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11:30 a.m.:

Authorities in Tennessee say a powerful storm system destroyed or damaged dozens of homes and injured a teenage girl who was hit by falling debris at a college basketball game.

An apparent lightning strike caused a hole in the roof of the basketball arena Saturday night at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. The Leaf-Chronicle reports a 15-year-old girl who was hit by falling debris was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

The game between Austin Peay and Murray State was stopped with 5:49 left in the second half due to the leaky roof. Fans took shelter in nearby hallways and athletic offices before play resumed after a more than three hour delay.

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Sandra Brandon says the storm destroyed at least four homes and damaged dozens of others.

The National Weather Service said it was sending crews to survey damage in a section of central Tennessee.

Clarksville is about 48 miles northeast of Nashville, Tennessee.

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10:30 a.m.:

Police in south central Kentucky say the body of a male has been recovered from a vehicle found submerged in floodwaters.

The Simpson County Sheriff's Office says in a statement the body was recovered Saturday in a creek near the community of Franklin.

The victim's identity is being withheld pending notification of relatives.

About 20 miles away, the Logan County Sheriff's Office tells media outlets that 79-year-old Dallas Jane Combs died after a suspected tornado destroyed her Adairville home earlier Saturday.

Transportation officials said Interstate 64 in parts of Kentucky were closed in both directions Sunday due to high water.

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10 a.m.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has declared a disaster emergency for 11 counties in the wake of widespread flooding and related damage.

Holcomb issued the order Saturday for Carroll, Dearborn, Elkhart, Fulton, Lake, Marshall, Perry, St. Joseph, Starke, Switzerland and White counties. Officials say others could be added with more storms forecast in southern Indiana.

The declaration means the state can provide expanded emergency services and request aid from the federal government.

An Emergency Operations Center activated Thursday has coordinated the delivery of roughly 700,000 sandbags, two water pumps and other equipment and services for disaster response and recovery. Officials say some areas of the state have received record-level rainfall and significant flood damage.

Other states have issued similar orders: Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens declared a state of emergency ahead of expected storms and flooding in southern parts of the state and Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner issued a state disaster proclamation for three counties hit by flooding.

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1:30 a.m.

Authorities say at least two people have died as a strong storm system that included possible tornadoes pushed its way eastward through the central United States, leaving demolished homes, damaged vehicles and uprooted trees in its wake.

A man in northeast Arkansas and a woman in south central Kentucky both were killed as the storm that also included heavy winds, rain and hail muscled its way through the area.

In northeast Arkansas, an 83-year-old man was killed after high winds toppled a trailer home. Clay County Sheriff Terry Miller told KAIT-TV that Albert Foster died Saturday night after the home was blown into a pond.

In rural, south central Kentucky, 79-year-old Dallas Jane Combs died after a suspected tornado hit her Adairville home Saturday evening, Logan County Sheriff's Department told television station WKRN.

The storm activated tornado watches and warnings in multiple states.

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11:55 p.m.

Authorities say a woman has died in in south central Kentucky after severe weather moved through the area.

The Logan County Sheriff's Department tells television station WKRN that 79-year-old Dallas Jane Combs died after a suspected tornado hit her home Saturday night. Sheriff officials say Combs was inside the home when it collapsed on her. Combs was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities say Combs' husband was outside the house when the unconfirmed tornado hit and he sustained minor injuries.

Strom-related damage also was reported in Middle Tennessee, where Fox17 in Nashville reports extensive damage to homes and vehicles. Fox17 says at least a dozen homes were damaged in one Montgomery County subdivision.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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