Latest news with #RogerLeatherman
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
17 fatalities confirmed in Laurel County, Kentucky from reported tornado
LONDON, Ky. (WATE) — Multiple fatalities have been confirmed in Laurel County, Kentucky following a reported tornado overnight. Saturday morning, the Laurel County Sheriff's Office confirmed that nine people died and others had numerous severe injuries after the reported tornado. The search is ongoing for survivors. Just after 3 p.m., Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said that number had grown to 18 across the state, including 17 fatalities in Laurel County and one in Pulaski County. Among the dead is Laurel County Firefighter Major Roger Leslie Leatherman. The Laurel County Fire Department shared that Leatherman was fatally injured while responding to the reported tornado. Knoxville restaurant collecting supplies for Laurel County, Kentucky storm victims The sheriff's office said the reported tornado touched down in Laurel County at approximately 11:49 p.m. Friday and traveled across Keavy Road, Old Whitley Road and the London-Corbin Airport. As the search for survivors continued Saturday morning, the sheriff's office said Keavy Road near Wyan Pine Elementary School will be closed until 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon, London Mayor Randall Weddle shared photos of the damage taken from a helicopter. He wrote on social media that the reported tornado originated in Pulaski County and continued through the Oaks of London subdivision. 'Debris is scattered for up to three miles past the golf course, a stark reminder of the storm's power,' Weddle wrote. 'Please continue praying for our community and for the Air Evac Life Team they lost their hangar and a helicopter in this devastation. It's so important for us to have partners like them who are dedicated to helping us through times of crisis.' Previously, Weddle told 6 News that there were confirmed fatalities in the area. The Laurel-Whitley County Emergency Management Office has also reported multiple fatalities, according to the Laurel County Fiscal Court. Video shared to the Laurel County Fiscal Court showed widespread damage across the Sunshine Hills area. Other impacted areas include London-Corbin Airport, Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park and the Oaks of London subdivision. South Laurel High School at 201 S. Laurel Road in London has been opened as a shelter for those affected. Volunteers are needed to work at the warming center location. The sheriff's office said anyone who has been displaced by the storm and needs housing can call 606-521-3119 and that housing will be provided courtesy of Praxel. A new location has been established for donations, including personal hygiene products and food. The new location is the First Baptist Church at 804 West 5th Street, the sheriff's office said. Kentucky mother pleads guilty to murder after 2023 death of 'Baby Elena' Wyan-Pine Grove Elementary School, located at 2330 Keavy Road in London, has been opened to those impacted by severe weather. The Community Christian Church at 723 W. 5th Street has also opened as a shelter. The Salvation Army mobilized disaster response teams to Laurel and Pulaski counties in Kentucky and has set up a mobile kitchen unit in Somerset.. 'The damage in Somerset is heartbreaking,' said Lieutenant Judah Irvin, Corps Officer of The Salvation Army in Danville. 'We've seen homes leveled, businesses destroyed, and families trying to pick up the pieces. In the midst of this devastation, we're here to provide food, comfort, and hope—and we'll be here for as long as it takes.' This is a developing story. or for updates. Those interested in donation to help with the Salvation Army's efforts to help those impacted by the storms in Kentucky can make donations online or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769) Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
18-05-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
At least 18 killed as severe weather lashes Kentucky, and 9 more die elsewhere
Storms that swept across part of the Midwest and South killed least 27 people including 18 in Kentucky, where another 10 were hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said. A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state's southeast, and one was in Pulaski County: Fire Department Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who was fatally injured while responding to the deadly weather. Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, according to Gov. Andy Beshear, who announced the toll of dead and critically injured on Saturday. He also said the death toll could still rise. 'We need the whole world right now to be really good neighbors to this region,' the governor said. State Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said hundreds of homes were damaged, Kayla Patterson, her husband and their five children huddled in a tub in their basement in London, the county seat, as the tornado raged around them. 'You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train," she recalled Saturday. 'It was terrible.' The family eventually emerged to the sounds of sirens and panicked neighbors. While the family's own home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said. Rescuers searched for survivors all night and into the morning, the sheriff's office said. An emergency shelter was set up at a high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving. Resident Chris Cromer said he got the first of two alerts on his phone around 11:30 p.m., about a half-hour before the tornado struck. He and his wife grabbed their dog, jumped in their car and sought shelter in the crawlspace at a relative's nearby home because their own crawlspace is small. 'We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,' said Cromer, 46. A piece of his roof was ripped off, and windows were broken, but homes around his were destroyed. 'It's one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people — then, when it happens, it's just surreal,' he said. 'It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.' The storm was the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads. Missouri pounded by storms, with deaths confirmed in St. Louis About 1,200 tornadoes strike the U.S. annually, and they have been reported in all 50 states over the years. Researchers found in 2018 that deadly tornadoes were happening less frequently in the traditional 'Tornado Alley' of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South area. The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said. The system also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, brought punishing heat to Texas and temporarily enveloped parts of Illinois — including Chicago — in a pall of dust on an otherwise sunny day. In St. Louis, Mayor Cara Spencer said five people died, 38 were injured and more than 5,000 homes were affected. 'The devastation is truly heartbreaking," she said at a news conference Saturday. An overnight curfew was to continue in the most damaged neighborhoods. Weather service radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the area of Forest Park, which is home to the St. Louis Zoo and formerly hosted both the 1904 World's Fair and the Olympic Games in 1904. Three people needed aid after part of the Centennial Christian Church crumbled, according to St. Louis Fire Battalion Chief William Pollihan. Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir. At the zoo, falling trees severely damaged the roof of a butterfly facility. Staffers quickly corralled most of the butterflies, the zoo said on social media, and a conservatory in suburban Chesterfield was caring for the displaced creatures. A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media. Forecasters say severe weather could batter parts of the Plains The weather service said that supercells are likely to develop across parts of Texas and Oklahoma Saturday afternoon before becoming a line of storms in southwest Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas on Saturday night. The biggest risks include large to very large hail that could be up to 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) in size, damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes. These conditions were expected to continue on Sunday across parts of the central and southern Plains as well as parts of the central High Plains. National Weather Service offices lost staff The storms hit after the Trump administration massively cut staffing of National Weather Service offices, with outside experts worrying about how it would affect warnings in disasters such as tornadoes. The office in Jackson, Kentucky, which was responsible for the area around London, Kentucky, had a March 2025 vacancy rate of 25%; the Louisville, Kentucky, weather service staff was down 29%; and the St. Louis office was down 16%, according to calculations by weather service employees obtained by The Associated Press. The Louisville office was also without a permanent boss, the meteorologist in charge, as of March, according to the staffing data. Experts said any vacancy rate above 20% is a critical problem. ___ See more photos from the severe storms in the South and Midwest here. ___ Contributing were Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York, Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta, Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, Juan Lozano in Houston, and Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
At least 18 killed as severe weather lashes Kentucky, and 9 more die elsewhere
LONDON, Ky. (AP) — Storms that swept across part of the Midwest and South killed least 27 people including 18 in Kentucky, where another 10 were hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said. A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state's southeast, and one was in Pulaski County: Fire Department Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who was fatally injured while responding to the deadly weather. Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, according to Gov. Andy Beshear, who announced the toll of dead and critically injured on Saturday. He also said the death toll could still rise. 'We need the whole world right now to be really good neighbors to this region,' the governor said. State Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said hundreds of homes were damaged, Kayla Patterson, her husband and their five children huddled in a tub in their basement in London, the county seat, as the tornado raged around them. 'You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train," she recalled Saturday. 'It was terrible.' The family eventually emerged to the sounds of sirens and panicked neighbors. While the family's own home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said. Rescuers searched for survivors all night and into the morning, the sheriff's office said. An emergency shelter was set up at a high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving. Resident Chris Cromer said he got the first of two alerts on his phone around 11:30 p.m., about a half-hour before the tornado struck. He and his wife grabbed their dog, jumped in their car and sought shelter in the crawlspace at a relative's nearby home because their own crawlspace is small. 'We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,' said Cromer, 46. A piece of his roof was ripped off, and windows were broken, but homes around his were destroyed. 'It's one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people — then, when it happens, it's just surreal,' he said. 'It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.' The storm was the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads. Missouri pounded by storms, with deaths confirmed in St. Louis About 1,200 tornadoes strike the U.S. annually, and they have been reported in all 50 states over the years. Researchers found in 2018 that deadly tornadoes were happening less frequently in the traditional 'Tornado Alley' of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South area. The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said. The system also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, brought punishing heat to Texas and temporarily enveloped parts of Illinois — including Chicago — in a pall of dust on an otherwise sunny day. In St. Louis, Mayor Cara Spencer said five people died, 38 were injured and more than 5,000 homes were affected. 'The devastation is truly heartbreaking," she said at a news conference Saturday. An overnight curfew was to continue in the most damaged neighborhoods. Weather service radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the area of Forest Park, which is home to the St. Louis Zoo and formerly hosted both the 1904 World's Fair and the Olympic Games in 1904. Three people needed aid after part of the Centennial Christian Church crumbled, according to St. Louis Fire Battalion Chief William Pollihan. Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir. At the zoo, falling trees severely damaged the roof of a butterfly facility. Staffers quickly corralled most of the butterflies, the zoo said on social media, and a conservatory in suburban Chesterfield was caring for the displaced creatures. A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media. Forecasters say severe weather could batter parts of the Plains The weather service said that supercells are likely to develop across parts of Texas and Oklahoma Saturday afternoon before becoming a line of storms in southwest Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas on Saturday night. The biggest risks include large to very large hail that could be up to 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) in size, damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes. These conditions were expected to continue on Sunday across parts of the central and southern Plains as well as parts of the central High Plains. National Weather Service offices lost staff The storms hit after the Trump administration massively cut staffing of National Weather Service offices, with outside experts worrying about how it would affect warnings in disasters such as tornadoes. The office in Jackson, Kentucky, which was responsible for the area around London, Kentucky, had a March 2025 vacancy rate of 25%; the Louisville, Kentucky, weather service staff was down 29%; and the St. Louis office was down 16%, according to calculations by weather service employees obtained by The Associated Press. The Louisville office was also without a permanent boss, the meteorologist in charge, as of March, according to the staffing data. Experts said any vacancy rate above 20% is a critical problem. ___ See more photos from the severe storms in the South and Midwest here. ___ Contributing were Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York, Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta, Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, Juan Lozano in Houston, and Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland.
Washington Post
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
At least 18 killed as severe weather lashes Kentucky, and 9 more die elsewhere
LONDON, Ky. — Storms that swept across part of the Midwest and South killed least 27 people including 18 in Kentucky, where another 10 were hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said. A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state's southeast, and one was in Pulaski County: Fire Department Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who was fatally injured while responding to the deadly weather.
Associated Press
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Associated Press
At least 18 killed as severe weather lashes Kentucky, and 9 more die elsewhere
LONDON, Ky. (AP) — Storms that swept across part of the Midwest and South killed least 27 people including 18 in Kentucky, where another 10 were hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said. A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state's southeast, and one was in Pulaski County: Fire Department Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who was fatally injured while responding to the deadly weather. Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, according to Gov. Andy Beshear, who announced the toll of dead and critically injured on Saturday. He also said the death toll could still rise. 'We need the whole world right now to be really good neighbors to this region,' the governor said. State Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said hundreds of homes were damaged, Kayla Patterson, her husband and their five children huddled in a tub in their basement in London, the county seat, as the tornado raged around them. 'You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train,' she recalled Saturday. 'It was terrible.' The family eventually emerged to the sounds of sirens and panicked neighbors. While the family's own home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said. Rescuers searched for survivors all night and into the morning, the sheriff's office said. An emergency shelter was set up at a high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving. Resident Chris Cromer said he got the first of two alerts on his phone around 11:30 p.m., about a half-hour before the tornado struck. He and his wife grabbed their dog, jumped in their car and sought shelter in the crawlspace at a relative's nearby home because their own crawlspace is small. 'We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,' said Cromer, 46. A piece of his roof was ripped off, and windows were broken, but homes around his were destroyed. 'It's one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people — then, when it happens, it's just surreal,' he said. 'It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.' The storm was the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads. Missouri pounded by storms, with deaths confirmed in St. Louis About 1,200 tornadoes strike the U.S. annually, and they have been reported in all 50 states over the years. Researchers found in 2018 that deadly tornadoes were happening less frequently in the traditional 'Tornado Alley' of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South area. The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said. The system also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, brought punishing heat to Texas and temporarily enveloped parts of Illinois — including Chicago — in a pall of dust on an otherwise sunny day. In St. Louis, Mayor Cara Spencer said five people died, 38 were injured and more than 5,000 homes were affected. 'The devastation is truly heartbreaking,' she said at a news conference Saturday. An overnight curfew was to continue in the most damaged neighborhoods. Weather service radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the area of Forest Park, which is home to the St. Louis Zoo and formerly hosted both the 1904 World's Fair and the Olympic Games in 1904. Three people needed aid after part of the Centennial Christian Church crumbled, according to St. Louis Fire Battalion Chief William Pollihan. Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir. At the zoo, falling trees severely damaged the roof of a butterfly facility. Staffers quickly corralled most of the butterflies, the zoo said on social media, and a conservatory in suburban Chesterfield was caring for the displaced creatures. A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media. Forecasters say severe weather could batter parts of the Plains The weather service said that supercells are likely to develop across parts of Texas and Oklahoma Saturday afternoon before becoming a line of storms in southwest Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas on Saturday night. The biggest risks include large to very large hail that could be up to 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) in size, damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes. These conditions were expected to continue on Sunday across parts of the central and southern Plains as well as parts of the central High Plains. National Weather Service offices lost staff The storms hit after the Trump administration massively cut staffing of National Weather Service offices, with outside experts worrying about how it would affect warnings in disasters such as tornadoes. The office in Jackson, Kentucky, which was responsible for the area around London, Kentucky, had a March 2025 vacancy rate of 25%; the Louisville, Kentucky, weather service staff was down 29%; and the St. Louis office was down 16%, according to calculations by weather service employees obtained by The Associated Press. The Louisville office was also without a permanent boss, the meteorologist in charge, as of March, according to the staffing data. Experts said any vacancy rate above 20% is a critical problem. ___ See more photos from the severe storms in the South and Midwest here. ___ Contributing were Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York, Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta, Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, Juan Lozano in Houston, and Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland.
