Update (Dec. 20, 2021): Police in Bowling Green, Kentucky, have found the body of 13-year-old Nyssa Brown, who was one of 244 people who went missing after a tornado destroyed parts of the area last week. The teenager, who was the last unaccounted person, was found in a densely wooded area, WBKO reports. 

Brown is among the 17 people who have been confirmed to be dead following the tornado. Several members of the teen’s family also died during the disaster. Bowling Green Police Officer Ronnie Ward said most of Brown’s family members were found close to each other, WHAS11 reports. 

According to Ward, the family’s home was completely destroyed. Police said the teen was the last person on their missing persons list.

Original (Dec. 17, 2021): The search for Nyssa Brown in Bowling Green, Kentucky, continues after she was reported missing during recovery efforts following a tornado that destroyed parts of the area. 

The 13-year-old was unaccounted for after her family's remains were found by first responders, CNN reports.

Among those who died in the Brown family were Nyssa’s siblings, Nariah Cayshelle Brown, 16, Nolynn Brown, 8, and Nyles Brown, 4. Her 64-year-old grandmother, Victoria Smith, and her parents, Steven Brown, 35, and Rachael Brown, 36, also died.

“We got this little girl [Nyssa] missing and we found her family and they are most all deceased," Bowling Green police officer Ronnie Ward told WHAS11. "You can’t keep a dry eye.”

"They were very family-oriented. They loved their family. They loved their kids,” Dornicho Jackson McGee, Rachael's aunt, told CNN.

Ward told WHAS11 that the family was all found near each other. First responders are conducting a “grid search,'' which means that search and relief efforts are applied to one small area at a time.

When Ward was asked if he believes Nyssa is still alive he said, “Anything is possible.”

During a press conference on Dec. 15, Bowling Green Fire Chief Justin Brooks emphasized community interest and safety concerns for the teenager.

"This isn't just another missing person, but rather this is our 13-year-old girl,” he said as an officer behind him held a picture of Nyssa. “We have been intentional with our efforts, the search has been extensive. … One missing is one too many.”

Bowling Green has accounted for everyone identified in the 244 missing reports filed within the city, except for Nyssa, according to ABC 7.

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