Last week saw one of the largest tornado outbreaks in US history, bringing winds of 150 mph, destroying towns, and killing dozens of people. In Illinois, a tornado ripped through an Amazon warehouse causing the roof to collapse, trapping workers inside. Kentucky was the worst-hit state, where at least 80 people were killed. This is also where the General Motors Bowling Green Plant that builds the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is located. The Corvette assembly plant was damaged during the devastating storm as the roof caught fire.

Dramatic footage captured by a passerby shows the Bowling Green Plant in the distance engulfed in flames as emergency services tackle the blaze.

In a statement, General Motors said the fire "has caused damage to the facility, including the roof and an employee entrance." Most importantly, "the small number of employees that were onsite are all safe" according to GM. "Maintaining a safe work environment for plant employees is our top priority".

Because of the damage, first and second shifts at the plant are suspended for the week of December 13 as the teams scramble "to get tooling, equipment, and the facility space up to standard." It's not known if any completed cars were damaged during the storm, but the disruption will no doubt delay deliveries of the mid-engine sports car.

Let's hope the damage can be repaired swiftly and production can be resumed next week because GM has a significant backlog of C8 Corvette orders to fulfill. It's already been a difficult year for GM as serious supply issues caused by the global semiconductor chip have suspended Corvette production several times.

The National Corvette Museum also suffered minor damage from the storm and was closed over the weekend. The NCM Motorsports Park "sustained significant damage to the property." As a result, all events including Twinkle at the Track are canceled until further notice.