Ky. community begins to rebuild after tornadoes
(CBS News) WEST LIBERTY, Ky. - Today, half a foot of snow blanketed the wreckage caused by 45 tornadoes as the heartland tried to recover from the storms that ripped through the center of the country.
Thirty-nine people were killed over the weekend, including a 15-month-old girl, Angel Babcock, who was found alive in a field. Her whole family -- father, mother and two siblings -- died from a tornado that ripped through their town. Though many were hopeful, Babcock's head injuries proved to be fatal, and she was taken off life support by her grandparents. The family was laid to rest today in Salem, Ind. on Monday.
But, Indiana wasn't the only state affected by the tornadoes. CBS News correspondent Anna Werner traveled to West Liberty, Ky. to see how the area was putting itself back together.
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Tim Conley is pulling double duty: He's a county judge, and head of the emergency response in Morgan County. Conley rode the storm out inside City Hall.
Now that the worst is behind them, his primary goal is to get Main Street back in business.
"The people that live in Morgan County and West Liberty, they still got to be fed," Conley said. "They still have to get paychecks coming in. The economy's got to grow because if the economy stops, paychecks don't go out. How do you go to the grocery store and buy the food, the milk, the stuff you need?"
Since the tornadoes passed through this past weekend, Conley has just slept seven hours. Electricity must be restored and buildings inspected for safety before clean-up begins. "I'm breaking down," he said. "I'm physically healthy. I'm mentally -- I'm mentally shot."
"So, my personal story is I'm emotionally drained," he added with tears. "But I got to pull myself together to keep the county going.
He's not the only one who is suffering an emotional toll from the tornadoes. Patty Gibson was devastated to see the local bank, where she had worked for 24 years, completely destroyed. She worked on the second floor, which is no longer there.
Gibson survived the storm at her house, but it was barely safer than her office. As a result of the damage, her home has been condemned.
"I felt like everything's going to be okay. Property's gone, but God took care of us," she said.
Despite everything, when bank managers opened up a makeshift office at a local library, Gibson went to work. "I've been with these people for 24 years. (I've spent) more time with them, my second home," she said.
