MARC to open in Doniphan after record tornado damage path confirmed

A round of storms May 26 that produced tornadoes in Butler, Ripley and Stoddard counties has shattered records, according to the National Weather Service.

Assistance is also becoming available to residents in these areas as damage assessments are completed by state and federal officials.

The May 26 system was responsible for 255 miles of tornado damage across a 58-county area.

“This surpassed Feb 29, 2012, and Dec 10, 2021, for the number of miles that tornadoes tracked across parts of our region,” meteorologists report.

Seven different tornadoes were on the ground for at least 19 miles, with the longest track being 42.4 miles with the EF-2 in Ripley and Butler counties in Missouri. That grows to 46.5 miles if the part in Oregon County is included, the NWS shared.

A total of 16 different tornadoes were confirmed to have occurred May 26 across the 58 counties in the NWS-Paducah coverage area. These include three EF3 twisters and three EF2 tornadoes.

The second longest length of damage reported was 162 miles during Feb. 29, 2012 tornadoes.

Assistance

Multi-Agency Resource Centers will open next week in area towns. These MARCs offer a central location for local, state and service organizations to answer questions and provide information and disaster-related assistance, officials said.

A MARC will be held from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday at Dexter Park and Rec Gym, 522 Fairgrounds Drive. Another will be held from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Cottonwood Event Center, 506 Pine St. in Doniphan.

Meals will be provided at both locations.

Those seeking help need to bring a photo ID and proof of address.

Services that may be available include: insurance information; legal services; food stamp replacement services; health and wellness services; emergency financial assistance; gift cards and more.