At Least 27 Dead After Tornadoes and Storms Slam Multiple States as Survivor Says, ‘I Don't Know How I Made It'
The state of Kentucky was hit the hardest, with 19 dead as of Monday, May 19
The death toll comes following the announcement of layoffs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a significant reduction in emergency training at the Federal Emergency Management Agency before hurricane season begins on June 1At least 27 people are dead after the catastrophic storm systems hit Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia, the Associated Press, The Washington Post and NBC News reported. Now, the survivors are picking up the pieces.
'I don't know how I made it,' Jeff Cornett told The New York Times after he was pulled from his room by a tornado and pinned down by wreckage after a storm hit his home in London, Ky.
Cornett is just one of many residents in the central United States whose lives have been upended by tornadoes and severe storms that struck on Friday, May 16, through the weekend, as areas across the country brace for more severe weather.
In Kentucky, at least 19 people died after tornadoes destroyed homes, leaving many homeless. Many of them lived in Laurel County, according to posts on X by the state's Gov. Andy Beshear, who declared a state of emergency for Kentucky on Friday. He also reported that 10 people were injured because of the storm, with three in critical condition as of Sunday, May 18.
'We've got more tough news, Kentucky,' Beshear wrote when he confirmed the death toll had risen to 19 that afternoon. 'Please join Britainy and me in praying for the families who are hurting right now.'
Later that day, he encouraged his fellow citizens: 'Kentuckians are strong. We will make it through this — and we'll make it through this together.'
Seven people died due to weather-related incidents in Missouri and two in Virginia, officials said, according to NBC News.
Kristi Parker, also a resident of London, was sheltering in a relative's home with her fiancé and two children when a tornado destroyed the top of the house on Friday, according to The Washington Post. They found shelter in a neighbor's home, but their house was destroyed.
'I'm still in shock,' Parker told the outlet. 'I don't know how to take it in.'
The destruction isn't over. On Monday, May 19, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned of severe weather from the central and southern Plains into the Ozarks. 'All severe weather hazards are expected to include tornadoes (some potentially strong to intense), very large hail and severe winds,' the agency wrote.
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The wave of intense storms comes after the federal government announced that hundreds of employees from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency that tracks dangerous storm systems and oversees the NWS, would be laid off and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) significantly cut back on training for emergency managers ahead of hurricane season, which begins on June 1.
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