LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – Many take a trip to Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park in Laurel County to get some peace and quiet.
Linda Eslinger and Herb Goodman say they’ve gotten just that. However, this isn’t just a getaway for the pair; this is their new normal for a while.
“We went from a beautiful house to a camper, but we’re in this together, we made a pact and we’re just gonna make the best of it,” Eslinger said.
They’ve been calling this camper home since their actual home on Meadowview Lane was destroyed in May’s tornado.
“God was with us,” Eslinger said.
“We probably had the tallest tree in our subdivision right next to our house, and fortunately, it fell toward the shed and not our house, or we wouldn’t be here with you,” Goodman added.
The pair says the community support they’ve received so far has been astounding, but what the pair could’ve never imagined was that they’d be meeting one-on-one with state leaders to share their experiences with them, too.
Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman was the one to check in with Eslinger, Goodman, and other survivors on Wednesday.
“One thing the governor always says is we’ll be here until the job is done, and that requires check-ins along the way, that requires monitoring to make sure we’re making progress, and so that’s what I’m here to do today,” Lt. Governor Coleman said.
Coleman said she’s happy to see that 95% of the debris in Laurel County has been cleaned up, and people are in the process of getting back on their feet, but she notes that there’s still work to be done at the federal level.
“The governor, his office, my office, the local officials are pressing our congressional delegation, pressing the white house to get a response because that’s gonna be able to infuse some much-needed funding for cleanup and rebuilding,” Coleman said.
It’s funding that may help people like Eslinger and Goodman get back home sooner.
“We’re gonna overcome this. Clear and simple, we’re gonna overcome this,” Goodman said.
Lt. Governor Coleman also visited the county’s emergency operation center and a damaged church.
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