Tornado Flattens Kentucky Town, 19 Dead, Bathtubs Used for Shelter [WATCH]

Families in London, Kentucky, are recovering after a powerful tornado tore through the area Friday night, leveling homes and killing at least 19 people, including a local firefighter.

Residents in the Sunshine Hills subdivision say they had only seconds to seek shelter before the tornado hit, as reported by The New York Post.

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Ida House and three relatives survived by taking cover in a bathroom bathtub. “It’s bad. We lost everything except some in the house, not much,” House told FOX Weather. The family emerged from shelter to find that their home had been reduced to its foundation.

House said neighbors were trapped under debris, and her grandson and uncle helped pull them to safety. One neighboring family survived by hunkering down in their shower — the only part of their home that remained.

Across Laurel County, emergency services responded to reports of destruction and injuries. At least ten people were hospitalized with serious injuries.

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Roger and Karina Rivas also took shelter in their home’s small bathroom. When the storm passed, they realized they had been thrown 15 feet from where they started.

“We thought we had just fallen down, but we realized we were just about 10, 15 feet out,” Roger said. “The house is gone.”

The couple’s German Shepherd, Shadow, escaped during the tornado. While they initially feared the dog had been killed, they later spotted her in the neighborhood. Shadow has been too frightened to return and continues to run when approached.

Roger Rivas sustained a serious arm injury during the storm while trying to protect his wife and their dog from flying debris.

“The house, anything that was in it, it really doesn’t matter. We could care less,” he said. “All this stuff is replaceable. We are not replaceable. It’s just … overwhelming.”

Relief efforts began almost immediately, with assistance pouring into the county from across Kentucky. However, local residents were the first to respond. Neighbors whose homes remained intact opened their doors to displaced families.

The Rivas family said a neighbor sheltered them after the storm and drove them to the hospital for medical treatment.

Despite losing nearly everything, Ida House said she is committed to staying in the community. “It’s going to be a long time, but we’ll get it,” she said. “We’re going to get everything back to normal, and we’re going to stay right here. This is our neighborhood.”

The National Weather Service continues to assess damage from the tornado, which was part of a severe weather outbreak affecting multiple southern states.

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