101 Series From Disaster to Recovery

During the night of December 10, 2021, a powerful EF4 tore through and destroyed much of Mayfield, Kentucky.  This presentation will cover the damages suffered, the on-going recovery and rebuilding, and the remarkable resilience and perseverance of the citizens of this community.

Kathy Stewart O’Nan has served as the Mayor of the City of Mayfield since January 2019, and until the night of December 10, 2021, the most difficult issue that she had faced was guiding the City through the Covid 19 pandemic. But on that evening an EF-4 tornado swept through the city leaving hundreds of citizens homeless, demolishing the entirety of the downtown central business district including every city government building, and claiming the lives of twenty-four within Graves County. Although no training exists to prepare one to lead a city through a crisis such as this, Mayor O’Nan is confident that, with time and the extraordinary efforts by the strong people of Mayfield, her city will not only recover but will emerge a better place in which to live, work, and raise a family.

O'Nan currently serves on the Kentucky League of Cities Executive Board of Directors, the Graves County Economic Development Board of Directors, the Purchase Area Development District Board of Directors. In 2022 she was recognized as a Notable Woman in Kentucky Politics and Government and has received the following awards: 2022 Mayfield – Graves County Chamber of Commerce Mary Propes Outstanding Woman in Business; 2023 Small Business Administration Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contribution to Disaster Recovery for a Public Official; 2023 Kentucky League of Cities RISE Award; 2024 Tommy Longo Disaster Leadership Award, LeadersLink.

All programs are free & open to the public