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Survey of Mayfield tornado will likely take several days to finish

Team of experts in high-end tornadoes being brought in to survey damage

By Aaron Barker Source FOX Weather
Chad Hayes and his wife brought their food truck to Mayfield, Kentucky to help feed the community. 04:54

Couple brings food truck to Mayfield, KY to help feed the community

Chad Hayes and his wife brought their food truck to Mayfield, Kentucky to help feed the community.

MAYFIELD, Ky. – It will likely take several days to determine the official rating of a tornado that decimated parts of southwestern Kentucky on Friday night.

Officials at the National Weather Service office in Paducah, Kentucky, said the twister first touched down about 9 p.m. Central near Cayce, Kentucky. The twister tracked through Mayfield a short time later, before continuing northeast to Beaver Dam.

In total, officials believe the entire tornadic event in the region lasted for about two hours.

  • Church in Mayfield, Kentucky, damaged by tornadoes
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    Interior view of tornado damage to Emmanuel Baptist Church on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night, leaving a large path of destruction. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

  • Tornado damage in Mayfield, KY 12/21
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    Tornado damage is seen in Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 11, 2021. (Robert Ray)

  • Tornado damage in Mayfield, KY 12/21
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    Tornado damage is seen in Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 11, 2021. (Robert Ray)

  • Tornado damage in Mayfield, KY 12/21
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    Tornado damage is seen in Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 11, 2021. (Robert Ray)

  • Tornado damage in Mayfield, KY 12/21
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    Tornado damage is seen in Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 11, 2021. (Robert Ray)

  • Tornado damage in Mayfield, KY 12/21
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    Tornado damage is seen in Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 11, 2021. (Robert Ray)

  • Tornado damage in Mayfield, KY 12/21
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    Tornado damage is seen in Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 11, 2021. (Robert Ray)

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    Emergency workers search through what is left of the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory after it was destroyed by a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky, on December 11, 2021. - Tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky and causing multiple fatalities at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that suffered "catastrophic damage" with around 100 people trapped inside. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the storm -- a scene of "massive devastation," one official said. (Photo by John Amis / AFP) (Photo by JOHN AMIS/AFP via Getty Images) ( )

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    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: A photo shows a damage after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

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    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: An aerial photo shows a damage as cleanup efforts continue after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

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    A photo shows a damage after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021.  (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency)

  • Image 12 of 64

    A photo shows a damage after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021.  (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency)

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    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: An aerial photo shows a damage as cleanup efforts continue after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

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    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: A photo shows damage as cleanup efforts continue after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

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    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: A photo shows a damage after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

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    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: An aerial photo shows a damage as cleanup efforts continue after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

  • Image 17 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: An aerial photo shows a damage as cleanup efforts continue after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

  • Image 18 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: A photo shows a damage after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

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    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: A photo shows a damage after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

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    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: An aerial photo shows a damage as cleanup efforts continue after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

  • Image 21 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: A photo shows a damage after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

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    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: A photo shows a damage after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

  • Image 23 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: A photo shows a damage after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

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     An aerial photo shows a damage as cleanup efforts continue after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021.  (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency)

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    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: An aerial photo shows a damage as cleanup efforts continue after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

  • Image 26 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: An aerial photo shows a damage as cleanup efforts continue after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )

  • Image 27 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: An aerial photo shows a damage as cleanup efforts continue after tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, United States on December 12, 2021. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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    Wayne and Suzanne talk about how their restaurant was destroyed in the Mayfield tornado.  ( )

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      (Liam Kennedy/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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    Damaged vehicles and buildings following a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky, U.S., on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021. (Liam Kennedy/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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    Bowling Green, Kentucky, residents look at  the damage following a tornado that struck the area on December 11, 2021. - Tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky and causing multiple fatalities at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that suffered "catastrophic damage" with around 100 people trapped inside. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the storm -- a scene of "massive devastation," one official said. (Photo by GUNNAR WORD/AFP via Getty Images)

  • Image 32 of 64

    TOPSHOT - A Bowling Green, Kentucky, resident surveys the damage following a tornado that struck the area on December 11, 2021. - Tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky and causing multiple fatalities at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that suffered "catastrophic damage" with around 100 people trapped inside. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the storm -- a scene of "massive devastation," one official said. (Photo by GUNNAR WORD/AFP via Getty Images)

  • Image 33 of 64

    Bowling Green, Kentucky, residents look at  the damage following a tornado that struck the area on December 11, 2021. - Tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky and causing multiple fatalities at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that suffered "catastrophic damage" with around 100 people trapped inside. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the storm -- a scene of "massive devastation," one official said. (GUNNAR WORD/AFP via Getty Images)

  • Image 34 of 64

    Bowling Green, Kentucky, residents look at the damage following a tornado that struck the area on December 11, 2021. - Tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky and causing multiple fatalities at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that suffered "catastrophic damage" with around 100 people trapped inside. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the storm -- a scene of "massive devastation," one official said. (GUNNAR WORD/AFP via Getty Images)

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    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

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    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 37 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 38 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 39 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 40 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 41 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 42 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 43 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 44 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 45 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 46 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 47 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 48 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 49 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 50 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 51 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 52 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 53 of 64

    Drone footage on Dec. 11, 2021, shows devastation after a tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, on Dec. 10, 2021. (Michael Gordon / SCV)

  • Image 54 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11:  Heavy damage is seen downtown after a tornado swept through the area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities.   (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

  • Image 55 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11:  Heavy damage is seen downtown after a tornado swept through the area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities.   (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

  • Image 56 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11:  A tattered American flag flies at half-mast for Sen. Bob Dole in front of the heavy tornado-damaged courthouse on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities.   (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

  • Image 57 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11:  General view of tornado damage of the downtown area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities.   (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

  • Image 58 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11:  Heavy damage is seen downtown after a tornado swept through the area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities.   (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

  • Image 59 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11:  Heavy damage is seen downtown after a tornado swept through the area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities.   (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

  • Image 60 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11:  Heavy damage is seen downtown after a tornado swept through the area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities.   (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

  • Image 61 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11:  Heavy damage is seen downtown after a tornado swept through the area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities.   (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

  • Image 62 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11:  Heavy damage is seen downtown after a tornado swept through the area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities.   (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

  • Image 63 of 64

    MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11:  People search through a tornado-damaged building on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities.   (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

  • Image 64 of 64

    Heavy damage is seen downtown after a tornado swept through the area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

Mayfield was one of the hardest-hit places along the path of this long-track tornado. That is where much of downtown was left unrecognizable to some who have lived there for years. A candle factory was destroyed by the cyclone. Officials have said at least 21 people have been killed in Graves County, where Mayfield is located.

NWS officials said they have already seen damage that is consistent with at least an EF-3 tornado. That would put winds in at least 158-206 mph range. However, a team of experts who specialize in high-end tornadoes (EF-4, EF-5) is being brought in to survey the damage and help make a final determination.

Those experts include people who helped develop the EF-4/EF-5 criteria.

According to the NWS, survey teams are "working with a fine-tooth comb" to assess the damage. Teams from surrounding offices are also in the region helping to conduct storm surveys.

NWS officials told FOX Weather Tuesday that it may be next week before the survey for this massive tornado is complete.

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