HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. — As dusk fell over Hopkinsville on Sunday evening, not even the gentle sound of church bells or a dusting of snow could hide the destruction that took place just a day before.

On Saturday morning, Mark and Shari Jones were fueling up at the Marathon gas station on East 9th St. when they got the shock of a lifetime.

"So, I come up to go around the pump here to talk to her and then I, just out of the corner of my eye, see something," Mark Jones said.

That "something" was an EF2 tornado barreling straight at them.

"However fast old people can run over there is how fast we ran," Shari Jones said.

The Joneses said it took just seconds for the tornado to reach where they had been standing. A gas pump was ripped from the ground and fell where Shari Jones was fueling up just moments before. The entire canopy of the gas station also came crashing to the ground.

An AutoZone store next door was the couple's shelter.

"So we ran over here, and I just said, 'We gotta get down, we gotta get down,'" Mark Jones said.

Devin Crawford

They laid on the ground against the brick facade of the building, to the side of the tornado's path. Shari Jones said her husband was nearby to protect her from getting hit with debris.

In just a minute, the tornado destroyed several businesses, took down power lines and forever left an impact.

"It was the only time ever in my life, probably hers too, that you really wonder — I ever wondered — if I was going to make it. I mean, I wasn't sure," Mark Jones said.

It was a scary way to start 2022, but the Joneses are counting their blessings.

"Somebody said, 'It was New Year's day, what bad luck.' Well, not from our perspective. We get new vehicles," Mark Jones said.

"Very fortunate," his wife added.

Devin Crawford

This story was originally published by Olivia Michael on Scripps station WTVF in Nashville.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Distillers, brands and celebrities are donating items to auction off in support of the state's Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund.

The Kentucky Bourbon Benefit is auctioning off hundreds of rare spirits, memorabilia and experiences to raise money for western Kentucky residents impacted by last weekend's deadly storms. People can bid on items between Dec. 16-21, with all proceeds going directly to the state fund.

Items include an Old Rip Van Winkle 23-year-old bourbon whiskey decanter, a tasting and tour with NFL Hall of Famer Charles Woodson and a private experience at Castle & Key Distillery. The benefit said items will be posted at different times, with new options going live each day. The top 15 items will be available for bidding until 10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21.

Anyone interested can bid safely online. People who would like to make a donation to the benefit can also do so on the benefit's website. People must be 21 or older to participate in the auction. To view all available items, click here.

The Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund was established by Gov. Andy Beshear Dec. 11. To donate directly to the fund, click here.

RELATED: Here's how you, alongside local businesses, can help victims of the western KY tornadoes
RELATED: Boone County boy starts 'Operation KY Christmas' to collect toy donations for tornado victims

MAYFIELD, Ky. — A Kentucky man suffered a fatal heart attack while cleaning up storm debris at his daughter’s home, authorities said as the death toll edged upward from a recent tornado outbreak across multiple U.S. states.

Services for Terry Martin Jayne, 67, were scheduled Wednesday in his hometown of Russellville. Warren County coroner Kevin Kirby said Jayne suffered the heart attack Saturday and was taken to an emergency room, where he was pronounced dead.

Jayne had been helping to clean up debris at his daughter’s home in Bowling Green, where officials said 14 others were killed by a tornado, including 11 people on one street.

According to his obituary, Jayne had operated a floral shop for 45 years. He is survived by his wife, a son and daughter, three grandchildren and four siblings.

“He was, as he always was, helping someone else,” Jayne’s brother, Bruce Russell-Jayne of Carmel, Indiana, wrote on Facebook. “Rest in Peace my ‘Little Brother.’ We are in shock and can’t believe you are gone.”

Jayne’s death pushed the total of storm-related casualties in five states to 89, including 75 in Kentucky.

The National Weather Service continued to assess the scope of the storm. Eight states recorded at least 41 tornadoes during the severe weather that occurred on Dec. 10 and 11, including 16 in Tennessee and eight in Kentucky.

On Wednesday, the weather service said the tornado that tracked across a wide swath of western Kentucky, from Fulton to Muhlenberg counties, was preliminarily classified as an EF4, with peak estimated winds of 190 mph (305 kph).

The most significant damage occurred in Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky, where President Joe Biden visited on Wednesday to comfort those who suffered grievous losses in the storms.

In Kentucky, Lacedric Richardson and his two daughters stopped by to pick up some necessities at Mayfield High School, where the gymnasium was packed with food, clothes, toiletries and other supplies.

Richardson, 36, said he was scheduled to be at work Friday at the candle factory where eight of his co-workers were killed, but happened to be out sick.

“I feel all kinds of mixed emotions knowing that I could have been there,” he said. “I feel grateful, but then I feel like I could have done more if I’d have been there.”

The candle company announced this week that it will give each employee $1,000 to help with expenses and perform an independent review of its emergency protocols. The state is also investigating the factory deaths.

RELATED: Several Kentucky candle factory employees claim they were threatened with termination if they left ahead of storm
RELATED: Northern Kentucky mom raises thousands to help daughter with Bowling Green recovery efforts

DAYTON, Ohio — To get a small sense of what the road to recovery will be like for those in western Kentucky, look to Dayton, Ohio. Deadly tornadoes ripped through the Miami Valley in May 2019.

“Oh my! What happened down there was worse than we ever experienced here,” Dayton resident John Barber said.

Barber owns one of nearly 3,000 homes the Memorial Day tornado hit. His neighborhood was without power for six weeks. More than 200 businesses were impacted.

“We were able to stay in the house through the day with generators — $20, $25 a day for gasoline,” Barber said.

Some streets in the metro area and Trotwood are filled with homes that remain unlivable. Some apartments appear to be untouched since the tornado ripped off roofs and busted through walls, while many homes and businesses completed the rebuilding process.

RELATED: Dayton area tornado outbreak was historic for NWS

Immediately after the storms, owners and renters alike had to wait for insurance adjusters to show up for assessments. Some never received that assistance due to interest obstacles. They are still working to repair their homes slowly on their own.

“Insurance companies fought a lot of these people,” Mike McCarthy said. “You know, they don’t want to give out. I think every first thing for insurance, they say, ‘Deny, deny, deny.’”

By June 18, Montgomery County Emergency Management said residents could apply for FEMA short-term recovery assistance. In Kentucky’s case, emergency management said individuals should be eligible immediately because of the Presidential emergency declaration.

“FEMA does help a lot, but you do have to deal with a government,” said Virginia Doran. “So, you're dealing with forms, paperwork and proof.”

It took about a year or year and a half for workers to finish rebuilding the first properties. Emergency management did not immediately have an estimate on how long it would take to fully rebuild.

“I shudder to think of just what is going to happen to a lot of those people,” Barber said. "They’re going to be living in motel rooms for months before they can even get a contractor who has time to talk to them.”

More from WCPO: