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LONDON, Ky. – Families hunkered down successful their bathrooms and emerged to find their homes gone erstwhile a deadly tornado barreled done the assemblage of London, Kentucky, connected Friday, leaving down lone foundations wherever houses erstwhile stood.
Ida House and 3 different household members ran into the bathtub connected Friday nighttime erstwhile they heard the roar of the tornado.
"It's bad. We mislaid everything but immoderate successful the house, not much," House told FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne.
The Sunshine Hills subdivision, wherever galore homes were destroyed, looks unrecognizable.
On left: FOX Weather's Katie Byrne talks to a London, Kentucky tornado survivor. On right: James Sexton is comforted by a household person portion cleaning up the debris of his location connected May 18, 2025 successful the assemblage of Sunshine Hills extracurricular of London, Kentucky.
(Tavyen Matthews/Getty Images / Getty Images)
RECOVERY EFFORTS UNDERWAY IN KENTUCKY, MISSOURI AS TORNADO OUTBREAK DEATH TOLL CONTINUES TO RISE
House said neighbors were trapped nether debris, and her grandson and uncle helped them out. Another neighboring household hunkered down successful the shower, which is each that’s near of their home.
At slightest 17 deaths during the terrible upwind outbreak person been reported successful Laurel County, including a section firefighter. Ten others suffered superior injuries.
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TOPSHOT - A pistillate inspects harm from a tornado successful London, Kentucky, connected May 17, 2025. More than 20 radical person died aft terrible storms swept done the confederate US states of Missouri and Kentucky, officials and section media reports said May 17, 2025. Kentucky politician Andy Beshear said connected X that astatine slightest 14 radical had died successful Friday night's storms. At slightest 7 radical were killed successful Missouri, the Washington Post reported. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Tornado harm successful Laurel County, Kentucky. (@jsmithwx)
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Tornado harm successful Laurel County, Kentucky. (@jsmithwx)
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Debris is seen astir and connected the trunk of a histrion aft a tornado deed successful London, Kentucky connected May 17, 2025. Severe storms that swept done the US states of Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia near much than 25 radical dead, laying discarded to section communities and cutting disconnected energy to astir 200,000, authorities said connected May 17. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said connected X astatine slightest 18 radical had died successful the storms Friday night, portion section officials successful Missouri said different 7 were dormant there. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Debris is strewn astir and connected apical of trees aft a tornado deed successful London, Kentucky connected May 17, 2025. Severe storms that swept done the US states of Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia near much than 25 radical dead, laying discarded to section communities and cutting disconnected energy to astir 200,000, authorities said connected May 17. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said connected X astatine slightest 18 radical had died successful the storms Friday night, portion section officials successful Missouri said different 7 were dormant there. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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LONDON, KENTUCKY - MAY 17: Mark Sexton kisses his daughters canine aft it was pulled retired of the debris of his parent's location pursuing the tornado that struck the vicinity of Sunshine Hills connected May 17, 2025 successful London, Kentucky. A tornado struck communities successful Somerset and London, Kentucky, leaving implicit 10 dormant and much injured. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images) ( )
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LONDON, KENTUCKY - MAY 17: Payson Sexton, 13, is reunited with her canine aft it was trapped successful her grandparent's location pursuing the tornado that struck the vicinity of Sunshine Hills connected May 17, 2025 successful London, Kentucky. A tornado struck communities successful Somerset and London, Kentucky, leaving implicit 10 dormant and much injured. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images) ( )
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LONDON, KENTUCKY - MAY 17: Members from a section religion commune with Tony and Joe McFall, who mislaid their begetter and step-mother during the tornado successful the vicinity of Sunshine Hills connected May 17, 2025 successful London, Kentucky. A tornado struck communities successful Somerset and London, Kentucky, leaving implicit 10 dormant and much injured. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images) ( )
Roger and Karina Rivas got the Tornado Warning and ran into the tiny bath successful their location and laic down connected the floor. When the tornado passed, they were 15 feet distant from wherever they started.
"We thought we had conscionable fallen down, but we realized we were conscionable astir 10, 15 feet out," Roger Rivas said. "The location is gone."
They were trying to clasp onto their German Shepherd, Shadow, but she escaped during the tornado. Thankfully, the mates said they person seen her successful the neighborhood. She’s precise frightened and keeps moving distant aft a traumatic event.
"We didn't know. We thought she was dead," Roger Rivas said.
Roger sustained a superior wounded to his limb from debris portion helium was trying to support his woman and their dog.
"The house, thing that was successful it, it truly doesn't matter. We could attraction less. All this worldly is replaceable. We are not replaceable, it conscionable … overwhelming to spot however fragile it is and conscionable consciousness truthful overwhelmed that we made it out," Roger Rivas said.
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Help began arriving astir instantly from astir the authorities to Laurel County but helping hands were already adjacent doorway and offering what they could.
Neighbors who didn’t endure large harm opened their doors to those who mislaid everything. The Rivas said their neighbour brought them into her location and past drove them to the hospital.
House said that contempt the near-total nonaccomplishment of her home, she isn’t going anywhere.
"It's going to beryllium a agelong time, but we'll get it," House said. "We're going to get everything backmost to normal, and we're going to enactment close here. This is our neighborhood. And we're going to enactment close here."
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