The death toll from unprecedented weekend storms across the U.S. has risen to 90, with dozens still missing.  

Louisville, December 15 (RHC)-- The death toll from unprecedented weekend storms across the U.S. has risen to 90, with dozens still missing.  In Kentucky, workers at the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory who survived the storm said supervisors threatened to fire them if they left their shifts early on Friday — even as forecasters warned of approaching tornadoes and warning sirens could be heard. 

Some of the workers left the factory ahead of the storm despite the threat to their livelihoods.  At least eight people who remained died as a tornado ripped through the building and flattened it.  More than 100 workers were trapped. 

Climate scientists say the rare December tornadoes were likely a result of the climate crisis.  Meteorologist Jeff Masters told reporters: “We’ve got a warmer climate, and that means you can get a tornado any time of year, and so you’ve got to be prepared anywhere you live in the midwest U.S., southeast U.S.  You can get a tornado in December, January, February.  We’ve been seeing an increasing number of these off-season storms.  So, tornado season is all season long now, all year long.”