It’s been hard to miss the devastating images of the tornadoes that hit six states in the Midwest and southern United States over the weekend. The worst of them hit Kentucky with unprecedented force. This is a very rare occurrence at this time of year.
Kentucky State Governor Andy Beshear called it “the most severe and devastating tornado in Kentucky history”. One of the facilities affected was the GM assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where the Chevrolet Corvette is made. Another was the Corvette National Museum.
A fire even broke out at the GM plant, though fortunately, there were no casualties. However, the damage is significant enough to force Chevrolet to halt production of the car this week.
The GM Authority website reports that the shop president of UAW Local 2164 informed employees that a team was assessing the damage. GM told Automotive News that a worker entrance and the roof were affected.
This is just the latest in a series of setbacks for the plant, which is forced to endure another disruption. Recall that the initial launch of the new-generation C8 Corvette was marked by production delays. Then the microchip shortage hit and caused slowdowns. It’s been a tough couple of years for the factory...
As for the museum, it’s no stranger to disasters either. Recall the collapse of a part of the floor a few years ago, an event that led to the destruction of some cars housed in the museum. This time, part of the roof of a large garage was torn off. Still, it fared better in the face of the tornadoes than the wider Bowling Green area, many parts of which will take years to rebuild.
And, of course, beyond all that, there's the human drama that played out with this crazy weather. The Corvette will carry on, relatively easily; if only it were so easy for all the families affected by the tragedy.