before the attack raising new questions. good evening, everyone what happened here friday is a story of loss and salvation. these houses in downtown mayfield, kentucky are still standing but all uninhabitable. in each, there were residents holding on for dear life as everything around them was destroyed. stories of survival are fueling hope, even a the death toll in kentucky rises. we are learning from the governor that at least 74 are dead 109 still unaccounted for. we also know that friday's onslaught involved as many as 60 tornados tonight as crews try to erase the scars carrying away the rubble they're struggling to find comparisons to this level of destruction and human loss maybe the simplest way to put it is children will be telling their children and grandchildren about that awful day in december, 2021 our reporters are across the region to tell the stories. but we start here in mayfield tonight, it is hard to put into words. utter destruction, immense loss as far as you can see. more than 100 people still unaccounted for here in kentucky alone and efforts to find them going on around the clock. >> there was i believe a men's shelter down here, that was a dentist office in front of us. >> how long do you think it took for this damage to occur? >> 30, 45 seconds tops >> i met mayfield fire chief and ems director jeremy creasen is there a sense hope is gone for those still unaccounted for? >> i don't think so. we never want to give up hope. >> the catastrophic damage caused by 60 tornadoes reported across nine states one at least three quarters of a mile wide. in some cases, winds reaching 155 miles per hour the victims include a young navy vet, a district judge, and people working late into the night on holiday orders at a candle factory kentucky's governor saying he lost family members in the storm, too, among dozens killed. >> the ones we know, the age range is five months to 86 years. >> not long after he spoke, an even younger victim confirmed, a two month old died this morning from her injuries. her father posting on facebook this doesn't seem real the strongest tornado ripped across at least 130 miles, hitting mayfield, kentucky the hardest. downtown, completely flattened. here it is before the storm and now after. while from the air the path of destruction is clear, here on the ground it is endless. it is all around you 360 degrees of utter devastation. the winds so strong, this school bus flipped on its side this church is now open to the sky. in illinois, this amazon warehouse collapsed while the tornado tore through this nursing home in arkansas tonight, so many families left with nothing tyrone wilson rode out the storm alone in his closet. this is where you took shelter. >> here in this closet here. >> he showed me what's left of the place he called home for 40 years. >> tell us what it was like >> scary. >> can the house be saved? >> i doubt it. >> nearby, we met beverly duffy, this massive tree nearly missed her home but crushed her car. >> i thought this house would go down, yeah, i did. >> tonight, tens of thousands are without heat, water, power, even a cell phone connection >> the town will never be the same it is gone neighborhood isn't going to be the same. >> president biden will travel to kentucky wednesday. >> each passing day, the impact of this devastation is, depth and losses are becoming more and more apparent. >> the people we met say they are determined i heard people say the town is gone do you see it that way? >> absolutely not. no we've lost some houses but our community is still here we will rebuild and we'll come back better and stronger because of this. >> here in mayfield, harrowing stories from people that lived through the tornado that leveled that candle factory. at least eight were killed an army of rescuers is searching for the missing. tom llamas talked to survivors. >> reporter: for three days they combed the candle factory where staff were busy working on holiday orders whe deadly weather moved in images showing the building before and after the monster tornado tore through the kentucky town. employees at the factory telling nbc news they were told to go back to work after the first sirens went off hours before the twister hit. >> we knew the tornado was coming we knew it was going to happen. we were scared. >> reporter: we spoke to this 30-year-old lauren barclay in her hospital bed she said she was working the factory line when the roof started to rip off. >> we heard the wind pick up outside, our ears started popping, and i looked at my best friend megan that worked with me, i said there's a tornado. >> reporter: she ran for the bathroom and remembers going airborne. >> you were launched in the air >> we wound up six or seven feet from where we were standing. >> reporter: the ceo spoke with nbc's kate snow, said no one was forced to stay or work the night the tornado hit. >> if you knew the weather was coming, was there any thought to suspending production? >> if we believe we could do anything differently, in hindsight, i think all of us would do something different. it is a gamble to say leave. last thing you do, they say don't get in the car. that's what experts say. >> six workers telling nbc news they were told to stay, including kimberly hendrickson. >> did anybody give you the option to go home after the first alarm? >> no. >> do you think that was a mistake? >> yes, they should have allowed those that wanted to leave to leave. >> reporter: they sheltered in place as the factory collapsed around them. she ended up in a vat of fragrance oil. you can smell it over her and her room >> i had a gentleman on top of me pinned, he couldn't move. >> pelvis broken, skin burned, a co-worker died next to her. >> just thankful i didn't lose my daughter and i didn't die on top of my child. that was my worst fears. >> reporter: one worker says when the first storm siren went off, many workers left for one reason or another 110 remained inside the plant working. >> what's the latest account from the factory >> major update. we know 8 people died unfortunately, but now the company told us they have reached out to 102 workers who survived no one else is missing. >> thanks so much. we have much more on top story on "nbc news now." northeast of where we are in the small town of bremen, kentucky, 11 people lost their lives and just about everyone knew someone that died. kate snow is there tonight. >> what street was this >> this is the area i was telling you about earlier. this was a nice little area. >> bremen, kentucky is wounded. farmland littered with debris the tornado came from over there. it was so wide, it wiped out the entire subdivision less than 300 people live here, 11 of them now gone, loss beyond words. >> this was the house behind you? >> yes >> was this the foundation >> that here is the porch. >> where did it go >> that tree, most of it was wrapped around the tree. >> andrew, his wife charity, and five month old chase lived here chase had just rolled over the first time friday. moments after the tornado swept over them, he called his sister stephanie. and her fiance, zack >> said my house is gone, i can't find my baby charity is strapped. >> he said i can't find my baby >> yeah. >> when chase was found, they raced him to the fire department, it was too late. >> can you even describe how it feels now? >> broken. >> chase's parents are in the hospital, andrew with a bad neck injury, charity had neurosurgery on her spine they say it is a miracle they survived in bremen, they're not alone in grief. >> there are other people they know died too. >> you have a community to lean on. >> right we're all getting through it together the best we can. >> the family started a fund to help with hospital bills and so much more. >> they literally lost more than everything >> they lost their son. >> they're grateful for everyone that's come to help. someone even found the family's christmas tree. >> this was their christmas tree someone found it in the rubble. >> a cross nearby, in honor of a little boy >> it is just awful. kate, what are you hearing about the parents' injuries? >> charity had surgery, she's on a ventilator now andrew for the first time today was able to get up and walk using a walker they're slowly rehabilitating, it will be a long road they wanted to speak out, this family, they want everyone to know how thankful they are to neighbors and strangers that helped >> thank you for sharing that. tonight, a federal investigation is under way after a tornado smashed into the amazon warehouse in edwardsville, illinois, killing six people there. morgan chesky has that story. >> reporter: for the cope family the pain is too much to bear. father len, unable to put his son clay's loss into words. the 29-year-old in the warehouse friday when the storm moved in over the phone, the navy vet said he was helping co-workers to shelter, just minutes before the twister struck. >> knowing clay told others to get to safety. >> doesn't surprise me not at all >> that's who he was >> it just is who he was. >> cope, one of six workers killed, ranging from 26 to 62 the ef-3 tornado nearly cut the football field sized warehouse in half. 40 foot concrete walls collapsed, causing the roof to cave in. amazon sayin all 46 workers were instructed to move to a protected sheltered areas when sirens went off. not everyone made it there. >> our leaders on site began to shelter people i place, getting people to move into sheltered areas. >> reporter: amazon welcomes a newly announced investigation from osha that investigates all workplace deaths the agency has had staff on site since saturday, inspecting safety code compliance amazon founder jeff bezos facing criticism over the weekend for posting about his blue origin space flight at the same time recovery crews were digging through rubble bezos since said he is heartbroken over the loss of amazon teammates lester >> morgan, thank you. in 60 seconds, the new grim milestones in the pandemic as some areas see a devastating wave of new infections and the latest showdown between congress and a top trump official over the capitol riot tonight, one more stark pandemic milestone we have now surpassed 800,000 covid deaths with more than a thousand people dying each day some hospitals are seeing their worst days in all this here is miguel almaguer >> reporter: inside the nation's busiest hospitals there was no time to reflect on the loss our nation surpasses a staggering 800,000 deaths, the most devastating wave of covid infections is right now overwhelming many medical centers across the northeast and great lakes. more national disaster teams are arriving at hospitals as the u.s. now tops 50 million cases. spectrum health west in michigan just set their single day record for new admissions, expect to break it every day this week. >> quite honestly, makes me want to cry when the vaccines came out a year ago, thought we wouldn't get close to this, and here we still are. >> reporter: hospitalizations rise 37% the steady, relentless climb to 800,000 lives lost took under two years. according to the cdc, 76% of deaths are those 65 and older, but numbers are names for families that lost loved ones like diana sawhill. >> you wake up every morning and realize that person is gone, so you relive it every day. >> reporter: while delta does damage, omicron is fueling new concern. california set to reimplement indoor mask mandates as cases skyrocket 47% since thanksgiving took two weeks for the mutation to be identified in half the country. boosters say experts are the best defense, but tonight for 800,000 families, it is far too late miguel almaguer, nbc news. also tonight we are following the critical vote by the january 6th panel pursuing contempt charges against former trump chief of staff, mark meadows. garrett haake is at the capitol. >> reporter: lawmakers investigating the january 6th attack on the capitol have run out of patience with mark meadows. tonight, the committee beginning the process of holding hi in contempt of congress, for refusing to testify despite a september subpoena. >> mark meadows made the decision to cooperate and then made the decision to uncooperate, and as a result we have to hold him in criminal contempt. >> reporter: his attorney arguing it would be unjust, unwise, unfair, and that his client is protected by executive privilege asserted by trump, privilege the biden administration waived. >> the president claimed executive privilege. i am going to honor that i am not going to be the first chief of staff to waive that it is not mine to waive and it is really not congress' to waive. >> reporter: in a new report, the committee has questions about documents meadows handed over that shed light on what the trump white house knew about the insurrection before it began. january 5th, meadows sent an email to an undisclosed person saying the national guard would be present on the 6th to protect pro-trump people used his private cell phone to talk with at least one rally planner that may have expressed safety concerns about the event. in the weeks between the election and attack, meadows was in touch with state and local lawmakers about a highly controversial plan to overturn election results i love it he texted one back. >> thousands of documents that meadows turned over show what a direct witness he is to so many central events the committee is investigating. >> reporter: the next step, a vote in the full house that could be as early as tomorrow after that, up to the department of justice to decide whether to charge meadows with criminal contempt lester >> thank you. up next, a story of survival and a neighbor who helped this is elodia. she's a recording artist. 1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're connecting throughout the next 10. through projectup, comcast is committing $1 billion so millions more students, past... and present, can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities. we're back now, from the heart of the storm in kentucky where some survivors barely escaped with their lives. here is dasha burns. >> reporter: behind this red door is steve newman's childhood. >> when you first walked in, it is all your memories, they rush back to you. >> reporter: friday night, his father bob was behind the door, too. where were you sitting when the alarm went off >> i was sitting on that couch there. >> reporter: in the room that's gone. >> in the room that's gone >> got on the floor, crawled in that hallway door and the storm hit about then and it blew everything in. >> i heard a lot of people screaming outside, i ran outside. saw bob standing halfway standing, blood all over his face. >> reporter: this is bob's neighbor, holding boots he gave to bob to put on his bare feet when he found him. >> i can't even get out of the house, all the debris is everywhere i had a neighbor, somebody had a flashlight outside he came out. i thought he was a fireman, he helped me clear debris, get me out. ended up putting me up for the night, this neighbor here lucky to have a good neighbor. >> reporter: by the time we met bob, these neighbors became something more >> what do you think of the neighbors after all this >> i love them they come together when things get rough. >> reporter: proving while behind this door is a broken house, a home still stands nbc news, bowling green, kentucky. up next for us, more stories of kindness amid destruction. for all the devastation we witnessed in this region, there's plenty of inspiration from people helping those in need early morning sun reveals the scars that will not soon disappear from the path the tornado has cut through homes, businesses, and lives. but first light also reveals something about who we are. time and time again when we witness moments of great trauma, we see moments of teamwork in arkansas, neighbors collecting clothing at local schools. >> this will be going on as long as we need it to. >> or strangers from across the street or across state lines coming to help whether to share a prayer or help pick up the pieces >> we need a truck and probably four dudes to help move a refrigerator. >> this retired green beret is with aerial recovery, a group of former military who rush in to volunteer after natural disasters. >> been in a lot of places, this place is devastated. there's a lot of need here anything can help. >> offering aid to royce buck who is just beginning to process it all. >> people come in and say we're going to help you get to the next day there's no words for it >> in campbellsville, kentucky, this er nurse has been one of the volunteers now he is the one that needs help. >> close community, good neighbors, good friends. >> coming together to lend a hand to those most in need that's "nightly news" for this monday thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other good night (soft music) hey dad, i'm about to leave. don't forget your hat . good morning. how can i help? i need help connecting with my students. behind every last minute save, ok, that works. and holiday surprise, thank you! a customer service rep is working unseen, making it happen. and at genesys, we're proud to help them help you everyday. good evening. this is nbc bay area news tonight of the i'm raj mathai. a lot happening on this stormy monday. a suspicious death at the tesla factory in fremont. steph curry's made the record. the game just ened, by the way, and the new mandate that goes into effect statewide. our exclusive radar is lit up in green. a flash flood watch is in effect until 10:00 p.m. one of the hardest hit places, san mateo county, check it

Related Keywords

Omicron , Rescuers , Rubble , Employees , Candle Factory , 200 , Workers , Survivors , Hospital , Shelter , Vat , Warehouse , Amazon , Oil , Storm Alarm , Six , Town , Site , Milestones , Images , U S , Investigation , Everybody , Team , Tragedy , Disaster Zone , Vote , Meadows , Trump , Cases , Chief Of Staff , Mark Meadows , Email , Nation , Surpassing , Covid Deaths , January 6th Committee On Holding Former , Winter Surge , Contempt Of Congress , 800000 , January 6th , 50 Million , 6 , Attack , Everyone , Questions , Evening , Story , Houses , Loss , Residents , Each , Kentucky , Salvation , Uninhabitable , Downtown Mayfield , Governor , Everything , Stories , Survival , Fueling Hope , Life , Learning , 74 , Scars , Crews , Onslaught , Tornados , Friday , 60 , 109 , Way , Human Loss , Children , Reporters , Comparisons , Destruction , Grandchildren , Level , 2021 , December 2021 , People , Words , Region , Mayfield , Efforts , Utter Destruction , 100 , Dentist Office , Clock , Front , Men , 45 , 30 , Jeremy Creasen , Sense Hope , Ems , Fire Chief , Hope , Navy , Tornadoes , Vet , Quarters , Victims , District Judge , 155 , Nine , One , Three , Storm , Holiday Orders , Ones , Dozens , Family Members , Candle Factory Kentucky , Five , 86 , Victim , Injuries , Two , Tornado , Doesn T , Father Posting , Facebook , Downtown , Hitting Mayfield , 130 , Devastation , Path Of Destruction , Air , Ground , 360 , Families , Amazon Warehouse , School Bus , Arkansas , Nursing Home , Church , Side , Sky , Nothing , Illinois , Place , Closet , Tyrone Wilson , Home , 40 , House , Tree , Beverly Duffy , Car , Tens Of Thousands , Heat , Privilege The Biden , Same , Neighborhood Isn T , Power , Cell Phone Connection , Water , Losses , Impact , Depth , Passing Day , Community , Reporter , Missing , Tom Llamas , Army , Eight , Weather , Staff , Building , Sirens , Factory , Nbc News , Twister Hit , Roof , Ears , Factory Line , Hospital Bed , Wind Pick Up Outside , Lauren Barclay , Feet , Best Friend , Popping , Bathroom , Ceo , Seven , Anything , Thought , Kate Snow , Production , Tornado Hit , Something , Gamble , Experts , Hindsight , Leave , Don T Get In The Car , Kimberly Hendrickson , Thing , Alarm , Anybody , Mistake , Option , Yes , Room , Top , Fragrance Oil , Co Worker , Gentleman , Skin , Pelvis , He Couldn T Move , Worker , Child , Daughter , Fears , Storm Siren , Plant , Another , Reason , Update , Account , 8 , 110 , Company , Thanks , Bremen , No One Else , 11 , 102 , Someone , Lives , Street , Area , Little , Subdivision , Farmland , 300 , Charity , Andrew , Most , Foundation , Porch , Chase , Wife , Zack , Sister Stephanie , Baby Charity , Fiance , Parents , Baby , Fire Department , Broken , Miracle , Injury , Neurosurgery , Grief , Spine , Neck , Family , More , Fund , Hospital Bills , Best , Son , Cross , Christmas Tree , Ventilator , Surgery , Honor , Boy , Neighbors , Strangers , Time , Walker , Road , Morgan Chesky , Amazon Warehouse In Edwardsville , Len , Spain , Son Clay , 29 , Knowing Clay , Phone , Safety , Co Workers , Twister , Others , Cope , Football Field , Ef 3 , Concrete Walls , 62 , 26 , 3 , Cave In , Areas , Leaders , 46 , Jeff Bezos , Workplace Deaths , Weekend , Safety Code Compliance , Posting , Agency , Osha , Space Flight , Criticism , Rubble Bezos , Blue Origin , Wave , Infections , Teammates , Showdown , Pandemic , Lester Morgan , Official , Capitol Riot Tonight , Deaths , Pandemic Milestone , Covid , A Thousand , Hospitals , Miguel Almaguer , Centers , Disaster , Great Lakes , Record , Spectrum Health West , Teams , Admissions , Michigan , Vaccines , Hospitalizations , Climb , Thought We Wouldn T , Cdc , 37 , Person , Names , 76 , Loved Ones , Numbers , Diana Sawhill , 65 , 76 , Mask Mandates , Set , Delta , California , 47 , Defense , Country , Mutation , Boosters , Lawmakers , Charges , January 6th Panel Pursuing Contempt , Capitol , Garrett Haake , Committee , Decision , Holding , Process , Patience , September Subpoena , Hi , Criminal Contempt , Executive Privilege , Attorney , Result , Administration , Client , Uncooperate , Report , Documents , White House , January 5th , Insurrection , Guard , 5 , Event , Cell Phone , Rally Planner , Plan , State , Safety Concerns , Election , Witness , Events , The Next Step , Thousands , Election Results , Show , Back , Neighbor , Up Next , Department Of Justice , Students , Recording Artist , Recording , Millions , Internet , Elodia , 1 , 10 Million , 10 , Comcast , Tools , Possibilities , Projectup , 1 Billion , 6 Billion , Heart , Red Door , Dasha Burns , Bob , Door , Childhood , Memories , Couch , Friday Night , Walked In , Steve Newman , Hit , On The Floor , Hallway Door , Lot , Saw Bob Standing Halfway , Face , Boots , Somebody , Fireman , Debris , Flashlight , Everywhere , Things , This , Bowling Green , Kindness Amid Destruction , Plenty , Inspiration , Homes , Path , Flight , Businesses , Morning Sun , Teamwork , Schools , Clothing , Trauma , Help , Prayer , State Lines , Pieces , Truck , Need , Royce Buck , Places , Disasters , Group , Dudes , Refrigerator , Rush , Military , Offering Aid , Aerial Recovery , Green Beret , Four , It , Nurse , Er , Campbellsville , Needs Help , Friends , Volunteers , Hand , Nightly News , Care , Lester Holt , Save , Music , Dad , Hat , Don T , Customer Service Rep , Works , Working Unseen , Holiday Surprise , Genesys , News , Death , Tesla Factory In Fremont , Nbc Bay Area , Stormy Monday , Raj Mathai , Mandate , Effect , Game , Steph Curry , Hit Places , Green , Radar , Flash Flood Watch , San Mateo County , 00 ,