At Least 27 Dead After Tornadoes and Storms Slam Multiple States as Survivor Says, ‘I Don’t Know How I Made It'

"Kentuckians are strong. We will make it through this," the state's governor said after the storm hit on Friday, May 16

At 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.”