Kentucky governor says 64 dead in devastating weekend tornadoes that swept through Midwest, South

Kentucky GOP Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday morning that 64 people in the state died in the devastating weekend tornadoes that swept through Midwest, South

He spoke as searchers began their third day of looking for survivors of the deadly and destructive tornadoes this past weekend that swept through the Midwest and South.

Officials in Kentucky, the hardest hit among the six states impacted by the overnight Friday storms, said Sunday they were still "still finding bodies," according to The Washington Post.  

Beshear has said the death count could exceed 100.

President Biden on Sunday approved a disaster declaration for Kentucky, making eight counties in the state's hard-hit western region eligible for federal funds. He plans to travel to the state later this week to see the disaster first hand. 

As many as 90,000 homes and businesses are reportedly still without power across western Kentucky and northwestern Tennessee.

Much of the focus on the death and destruction is now on the Mayfield Consumer Products factory, in western Kentucky.

The factory was among the biggest employers in western Kentucky and remained open Friday night with workers making candles as the storm approached.

Eight of the 110 workers on the overnight shift Friday are confirmed dead and another eight are missing, a company spokesperson on Sunday told the Associated Press.

Beshear said the storm was so fast moving and powerful that  there was nowhere safe to hide inside the plant and that most employees were sheltering in the place they were told to shelter, also according to the wire service.