MAYFIELD, Ky. — It’s been over 7 weeks since an EF-4 tornado tore through Mayfield in Graves County.
Work in the city has been constant, including families who have to tear down their homes and contractors working to save buildings. In fact, in some neighborhoods there seems to be a dividing line where single streets seem to separate salvageable homes on one side and buildings that will be demolished on the other.
Casey France is on what you might call “the lucky side.”
“Particles of tree limbs or whatever and it busted holes and knocked it all the way through the wall,” France explained.
He’s a contractor, working on a triplex north of downtown along N. 6th Street. Debris thrown by the EF-4 shredded the southern facing walls of this building.
The tornado that made a direct hit in Mayfield on Dec. 10 caused extensive damage to homes and businesses. On the home France is working on, the roof was damaged, windows blown out and doors look like they were kicked in, but structurally the building can be saved according to France.
France’s father Larry is replacing the door frames this week. The father-son duo are local contractors hired by the owner of this triplex. Casey and Larry France have a lot of work ahead of them, but they know as soon as they finish, the families who were living here can move back in.
“We’re trying to get everything done just as fast as we can,” the younger France said.
On the other side of the dividing line, there’s just as much work happening, but those families weren’t as lucky, so to speak. A home across the street from where the France’s are working is being torn down as they are renovating this one.
“What the tornado didn’t take… it’s so damaged that this will probably be the first building that you see from downtown Mayfield.”
Follow this LINK for state and federal resources for storm victims.