BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Officials in Kentucky say 64 people died in the wake of severe weather late last week. According to the Warren County coroner, 12 of those fatalities occurred in the Bowling Green area.
Along with the loss of life, more than 500 homes and dozens of businesses were left in ruins. But among the stories of devastation are tales of triumph and survival.
"It's devastating, really. I know a lot of people here and just wanna help as much as possible," Brittany Edwards said.
There's no shortage of goodwill around the city. Nearby, hundreds of volunteers packed up supplies at South Warren High School, preparing to move them to a different shelter.
"I wish there was more that I could do, but I can't really imagine. But as a community we all gotta come together and stick together, so that's why we're here doing what we can," Edwards said.
Homes on Robin Avenue sustained heavy damage, including the house where Muang Oo lives. In the aftermath of the storm, the 22-year-old rushed into the street in the dead of night, running toward the screams he could hear from his neighbor's home.
"I just heard yelling, screaming, so I went outside to check and then they were just yelling Bob's name," Oo said.
The tornado took most of Bob's house, leaving him bloody and confused inside what was left.
"It's kinda hard because it's either get in there, get him out, or think about him losing his life in there when all this fell," Oo said. "Just gotta do what you gotta do, I guess."
With the help of another neighbor, Oo got to Bob and took him out while debris was falling around them. The neighbors, who barely knew each other before, are now inextricably linked.
This story was originally published by Mike Valente on Scripps station WLEX in Lexington, Kentucky.
