Kentucky tornado: Two-month-old girl becomes youngest victim of deadly storm, parents say
‘At least I know who will be watching over you up there for me. My dad,’ father writes on social media
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Your support makes all the difference.A two-month-old girl has become one of the youngest victims of the tornado in Kentucky and five surrounding states after she died from her injuries sustained during the storm.
Oaklynn Koon died on Monday, according to her parents Douglas and Jackie.
“At least I know who will be watching over you up there for me. My dad,” Douglas Koon wrote on Facebook. “God this doesn’t seem real.”
Kentucky governor Andy Beshear said on Monday that at least 64 people had died in the state and that at least 105 are missing. It’s not clear if the governor’s figures included Oaklynn.
Her hometown, Dawson Springs, was struck by the deadly storm on Friday night and she was taken to hospital.
The family said she went through several seizures and doctors said she may have had a stroke.
Not long before her death, the family wrote: “It’s not looking good guys at all. The machines are keeping her alive. Her head swelled really bad. She doesn’t have activity.”
“I’m in shock, my heart feels absolutely shattered,” one of the parents wrote on their shared account.
Oaklynn was in her family’s bathroom, fastened in her car seat, when the house was hit by the tornado, throwing the entire family out of the house. The parents said they found themselves at the home of a neighbour.
Oaklynn’s brother Dallas was also taken to hospital. He was treated and discharged on Sunday.
Photos posted to Facebook show that the family’s home was completely destroyed.
Dawson Springs Mayor Chris Smiley has said that he estimates that around 75 per cent of the town is gone.
“It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” he told CNN. “It’s just devastating.”
At least 14 people are dead in the small town and more than 100 people are missing, according to Nick Bailey, director of emergency management in Hopkins County. But authorities are hopeful that many of those who are missing have just left the town without notifying officials.
Mr Bailey added that “hundreds and hundreds” in Dawson Springs, a town of about 3,000 people, have lost their homes.
“Almost an entire city has been displaced at this point,” he said.
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