Kelly Williams has asked us to help in getting the word out that the Country Lake Christian Retreat in Henryville, Indiana, is fully equipped and ready to take on any and all guests affected by Friday’s tornado; at no cost.  She quotes Country Lake's Ross Knecht as saying, "We have tons of food, blankets and supplies. We are equipped to sleep 300 and feed more than 1000. We currently only have about 15 people here so we need to get the word out."

The Country Lake Christian Retreat Center is operated by Louisville’s largest church, Southeast Christian, and is located just 20 miles north of Louisville and just 3.5 miles from I-65, adjacent to the 24,000-acre Clark State Forest.

For further information, contact:

    Country Lake Christian Retreat

    815 Country Lake Road

    Underwood, IN 47177

    Phone : (812) 294-4789

    Email : nstone@countrylake.org

    Website : http://countrylake.org

Latest news on the Retreat’s Facebook blog:  CLICK HERE

Meanwhile, here in Kentucky, Gov. Steve Beshear authorized the Kentucky National Guard to deploy to communities as needed to assist with lifesaving efforts, security, and traffic control.  So far, more than 220 troops have mobilized to five counties in Kentucky.

Both Gov. Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson visited storm-stricken areas Saturday morning.  Gov. Beshear, along with Sen. Robert Stivers and Sen. Damon Thayer, toured heavy damage in communities in Morgan, Magoffin and Kenton counties.  They were joined by Rep. John Will Stacy in West Liberty, Rep. John Short in Salyersville, and Rep. Adam Koenig in Piner.

Lt. Gov. Abramson assessed damage in the community of East Bernstadt in Laurel County with Sen. Tom Jenson.  “Gov. Beshear and I will do everything in our power to speed resources and assistance to our communities as we begin to recover from these storms,” said Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson.  “The damage to some of our towns is nearly incomprehensible.  This is a difficult time, and we are holding all affected Kentuckians in our thoughts and prayers.”

Storm Numbers

The Kentucky Department of Public Health reports 18 fatalities from the storm:

• Johnson Co.:  2
• Kenton Co.:  3
• Lawrence Co.:  2
• Laurel Co.:  5
• Menifee Co.:  2
• Morgan Co.:  4

Approximately 300 injuries have been reported.

Gov. Beshear declared a statewide emergency Friday to allow local officials immediate access to state resources to assist in public safety and recovery efforts.  Twelve counties have declared states of emergency: Bath, Campbell, Johnson, Kenton, Laurel, Lawrence, Magoffin, Martin, Ohio, Pendleton, Rowan, and Trimble counties as well as the city of Paintsville.