Kentucky community begins cleanup after tornado outbreak

Residents in London, Kentucky, were picking up the pieces on May 18 after deadly tornadoes rocked the region.

Transcript

00:00Imagine a tornado rolls through your town, and within minutes, everything you know is gone.

00:07The wind stops, the skies get quiet, and then all you hear is cries out for help.

00:14That is what happened here in London, Kentucky, over the weekend.

00:18An EF3 tornado ripped through this community with terrifying force.

00:23The destruction is incredibly overwhelming to see firsthand.

00:27The tornado resulting in at least 19 confirmed deaths in the state of Kentucky, with 17 in Laurel County.

00:34All of a sudden, it just got silent.

00:37I went to the back door of the basement, opened it up, and I said, it's here, take cover.

00:41It sounded like 10 freight trains all at once coming at you.

00:45After the noise went away, you could hear people.

00:47I mean, it got dead silent again, people calling for help everywhere.

00:50Search and rescue crews went from house to house looking for survivors,

00:54while making their way through sheared-off roofs and collapsed walls.

00:57For those who lived through it, the moments after the tornado were beyond terrifying.

01:02He was asleep in that bed.

01:04And, you know, as you can see, the roof caked in.

01:07Her husband came over here and found him standing up.

01:11He actually seen it coming, and they yelled to get in the bathroom, and he said it felt like 10 seconds.

01:16That devastation has brought this community together in remarkable ways.

01:21Within hours, volunteers were on site, offering meals, clearing debris, and comforting strangers who are now more like family.

01:28The recovery will be long, but the first steps have already begun.

01:32Everybody's just standing together because, I mean, you can see it's a complete loss.

01:37And, I mean, homes can be built back, but there's still memories.

01:41For AccuWeather, I'm Allie Reed.