The National Weather Service has confirmed that a powerful EF-4 tornado tore through southern Kentucky on Friday night, devastating communities across multiple counties.

Additionally, there was no evidence that tornado sirens in the area had been deactivated by the Trump administration's budget cuts — if there was, the people affected by the storm certainly would have noted that fact in interviews.

In an update Tuesday afternoon, officials said the tornado that traveled between Pulaski and Laurel counties was an EF-4 with peak winds of 170 mph. It was on the ground for more than 55 miles and was nearly a mile wide at its maximum width.

The NWS in Jackson, KY, said the track for the tornado in Russell, Pulaski and Laurel Counties was 55.6 miles long with a maximum width of 1700 yards, which is almost one mile.

Residents in 49 Kentucky counties are urged to find alternate ways to receive severe weather alerts through Wednesday.

Due to staffing shortages, the National Weather Service in Jackson no longer has overnight staff. But NWS and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear say the office was staffed Friday night and early Saturday.

Areas in Laurel County that were impacted by a tornado late May 16 will be evacuated during the evening hours of May 20 ahead of more severe storms are set to move into the area, state and local officials announce during a news conference.

The office in Jackson, Ky., is one of several left without an overnight forecaster after hundreds of jobs were recently cut from the National Weather Service.

The Jackson, Kentucky, weather service office recently cut overnight staff but meteorologists were called in to handle the deadly tornado outbreak.