It’s been nearly two months since the residents of western and central Kentucky were hit with the widespread severe weather of last December. Those historic storms left a visible path of destruction and monumental damage across large swaths of our state right before the Christmas holiday.

KFB Insurance Vice President of Claims Rob Payne says tornado damage exceeds $250 million dollars.

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KFB Executive Vice President Drew Graham says the organization lobbies for rural issues.

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KFB Candid Conversation presents a discussion about the topical issues related to KFB priorities, the agricultural industry, and rural communities, in a question and answer format. In this column, Dr. John Newton, chief economist on the Senate agriculture committee for Ranking Member, U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), and former chief economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), discussed current issues related to the farm economy. Newton participated in breakout sessions during this year’s AFBF conference.  

In the late evening hours of Dec. 10, severe storms and four separate tornadoes touched down, killing 78 Kentuckians and leaving a widespread trail of devastation. The largest and most destructive tornado, which stayed on the ground to demolish anything in its path for more than 200 miles, originated in Arkansas, according to the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management.

The tornadoes that ripped through our Commonwealth on December 10, and into the wee hours of the next day, left a trail of destruction most of us have never seen.

As the reports of damage began to filter into local news outlets, I was in disbelief of what I was seeing and hearing.

KFB President Mark Haney says county presidents and vice presidents will gather this week in Louisville.

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