The tornado stopped Chevrolet Corvette production in Kentucky, USA.
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The tornado that hit Kentucky, USA last Friday, December 10, caused significant damage to various infrastructure, including the GM Bowling Green Assembly plant. The plant is the only one in charge of producing the Chevrolet Corvette in its various versions and will be closed for at least a week due to damage caused by a fire inside.
If you've ever seen or experienced a tornado, you know the damage it can do in seconds. On Friday, a severe storm hit at least four states with multiple tornadoes and winds in excess of 150 mph, leveling cities and killing dozens in Kentucky alone. Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in the state of Bluegrass, deploying the Kentucky National Guard and the Kentucky State Police.
GM plant badly damaged by fire
About 130 miles from the epicenter of the destruction in Mayfield, Kentucky, one of the tornadoes at the GM Bowling Green Assembly plant caught fire. This is the only plant in the world where Chevrolet Corvettes are produced, 1400 people work on Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Grand Sport, ZR1 models; LT2019, LT1 and LT4 5-litre V8 engines for Corvette; and C6.2 Corvette Stingray.
Corvette Blogger enthusiast site owner Keith Cornette spoke to Rachel Bagshaw from the factory, who confirmed the factory will be closed for a week from Dec. 13, if not longer.
Closed factory to protect employees
“We can confirm that a tornado-driven fire at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in the early hours of Saturday (December 11) caused damage to the facility, including the roof and employee entrance,” Bagshaw said in a statement. “Maintaining a safe working environment for the plant's employees is our top priority. Therefore, we will be canceling first and second shift production in the week of December 13th as our trained teams work to bring tools, equipment and manufacturing facilities up to standard.”
The Bowling Green plant has produced over a million Corvette vehicles since it opened in 1981 and represents millions of dollars for the state. It was a difficult year for the facility, which was affected by supply chain issues early in the year and then by a devastating winter storm.
The NCM Motorsports fleet was also affected.
Nearby, NCM Motorsports Park has also been closed, and the park said in a statement of significant damage: “It is with great disappointment that we are announcing the suspension of all activities at NCM Motorsports Park. This includes all laps/tours, Twinkle at the Track and Run, Run Rudolph 5k. Like many businesses in our community, NCM Motorsports Park was hit hard by the overnight weather event, making it temporarily unsafe to host. The MSP team is working to assess storm damage and develop a repair and reopening plan. We will continue to update our website and social media channels with the latest information."
Bowling Green Police said officers were working on "multiple reports of building collapses, gas leaks and city gas leaks due to tornadoes and severe weather." Governor Beshear said it was the deadliest tornado Kentucky has ever seen.
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