LONDON, Ky. — The first few days after a storm are a different kind of hectic.
What You Need To Know
- Survivors are reflecting on Friday night’s deadly storm in London
- The storm killed at least 19 people, 17 of whom were in Laurel County
- Countless homes and businesses were destroyed
“We’re looking at a disaster, is what we’re looking at,” said London resident Stanley Hensley.
Hensley hasn’t had much time to think about how close to death he came.
A kitchen is all that stands as a house sits destroyed May 18, 2025, after the May 16 severe storm that killed at least 19 people, injured several others and caused widespread property damage. (Spectrum News 1/Jonathon Gregg)
“In the bathroom, master bedroom; we come out through that hole right there,” he said.
Hensley and his wife huddled in the bathtub as a tornado destroyed every home along Saddle Road. His neighbor kicked through the wall and pulled him out after the storm passed.
“Everybody was screaming to help each other, and it was so fast, so quick; there was nothing to think about,” he said.
At the end of the street, Andy Johnson rushed his family to his grandfather’s house before the storm hit. Everything on the first floor was blown away.
“The whole back side of the basement is ripped out,” said Katie Nelson, Johnson’s sister-in-law.
Most of Nelson’s family lives in this neighborhood. Three out of those four homes are damaged.
“It’s devastating; I grew up here,” Nelson said. “This is my home.”
“We walked this neighborhood. I mean, all the neighborhood kids used to play together, all of these homes. We used to be in and out of them all through my childhood. It’s devastating.”
In a matter of seconds, their neighborhood was taken. Yet their resolve to help one another stands firm.
“God has blessed us beyond blessing,” Hensley said. “And my life relies on God.”