London, Kentucky tornado survivors piled into bathtubs, emerging to find everything gone

Name: 'The house was gone': Survivors describe living through deadly Kentucky tornado
Uploaded: 2025-05-18T19:18:31-04:00
Duration: 5 min 13 s
Description: Homes are reduced to slabs in London, Kentucky after a tornado tore through the community. Roger and Karina Rivas told FOX Weather's Katie Byrne they hunkered down in a bathroom and then realized their house was gone.

London, Kentucky devastated by deadly nighttime tornado

FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne reports from Laurel County, Kentucky where a tornado destroyed a large subdivision of London. Residents tell FOX Weather they lost everything but people are pouring in to help.

LONDON, Ky. – Families hunkered down in their bathrooms and emerged to find their homes gone when a deadly tornado barreled through the community of London, Kentucky, on Friday, leaving behind only foundations where houses once stood.

Ida House and three other family members ran into the bathtub on Friday night when they heard the roar of the tornado.

"It's bad. We lost everything except some in the house, not much," House told FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne.

The Sunshine Hills subdivision, where many 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 family friend while cleaning up the debris of his house on May 18, 2025 in the community of Sunshine Hills outside of London, Kentucky.

(Tavyen Matthews/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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House said neighbors were trapped under debris, and her grandson and uncle helped them out. Another neighboring family hunkered down in the shower, which is all that’s left of their home.

At least 17 deaths during the severe weather outbreak have been reported in Laurel County, including a local firefighter. Ten others suffered serious injuries.

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TOPSHOT - A woman inspects damage from a tornado in London, Kentucky, on May 17, 2025. More than 20 people have died after severe storms swept through the southern US states of Missouri and Kentucky, officials and local media reports said May 17, 2025. Kentucky governor Andy Beshear said on X that at least 14 people had died in Friday night's storms. At least seven people were killed in Missouri, the Washington Post reported. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )

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Tornado damage in Laurel County, Kentucky. (@jsmithwx)

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Tornado damage in Laurel County, Kentucky. (@jsmithwx)

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Debris is seen around and on the trunk of a tree after a tornado hit in London, Kentucky on May 17, 2025. Severe storms that swept through the US states of Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia left more than 25 people dead, laying waste to local communities and cutting off electricity to nearly 200,000, authorities said on May 17. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on X at least 18 people had died in the storms Friday night, while local officials in Missouri said another seven were dead there. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )

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Debris is strewn around and on top of trees after a tornado hit in London, Kentucky on May 17, 2025. Severe storms that swept through the US states of Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia left more than 25 people dead, laying waste to local communities and cutting off electricity to nearly 200,000, authorities said on May 17. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on X at least 18 people had died in the storms Friday night, while local officials in Missouri said another seven were dead 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 dog after it was pulled out of the debris of his parent's house following the tornado that struck the neighborhood of Sunshine Hills on May 17, 2025 in London, Kentucky. A tornado struck communities in Somerset and London, Kentucky, leaving over 10 dead and more injured. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images) ( )

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LONDON, KENTUCKY - MAY 17: Payson Sexton, 13, is reunited with her dog after it was trapped in her grandparent's house following the tornado that struck the neighborhood of Sunshine Hills on May 17, 2025 in London, Kentucky. A tornado struck communities in Somerset and London, Kentucky, leaving over 10 dead and more injured. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images) ( )

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LONDON, KENTUCKY - MAY 17: Members from a local church pray with Tony and Joe McFall, who lost their father and step-mother during the tornado in the neighborhood of Sunshine Hills on May 17, 2025 in London, Kentucky. A tornado struck communities in Somerset and London, Kentucky, leaving over 10 dead and more injured. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images) ( )

Roger and Karina Rivas got the Tornado Warning and ran into the small bathroom in their home and lay down on the floor. When the tornado passed, they were 15 feet away from where they started.

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

They were trying to hold onto their German Shepherd, Shadow, but she escaped during the tornado. Thankfully, the couple said they have seen her in the neighborhood. She’s very scared and keeps running away after a traumatic event.

'The house was gone': Survivors describe living through deadly Kentucky tornado

Homes are reduced to slabs in London, Kentucky after a tornado tore through the community. Roger and Karina Rivas told FOX Weather's Katie Byrne they hunkered down in a bathroom and then realized their house was gone.

"We didn't know. We thought she was dead," Roger Rivas said.

Roger sustained a serious injury to his arm from debris while he was trying to protect his wife and their dog.

"The house, anything that was in it, it really doesn't matter. We could care less. All this stuff is replaceable. We are not replaceable, it just … overwhelming to see how fragile it is and just feel so overwhelmed that we made it out," Roger Rivas said.

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Help began arriving almost immediately from around the state to Laurel County but helping hands were already next door and offering what they could.

Neighbors who didn’t suffer major damage opened their doors to those who lost everything. The Rivas said their neighbor brought them into her home and then drove them to the hospital.

House said that despite the near-total loss of her home, she isn’t going anywhere.

"It's going to be a long time, but we'll get it," House said. "We're going to get everything back to normal, and we're going to stay right here. This is our neighborhood. And we're going to stay right here."