Deadly tornadoes pummel counties across the South

Key Takeaways

Southern Kentucky counties bore the brunt of a May 16 tornado outbreak, with at least 17 fatalities confirmed as of last week in Laurel County alone. The tornado that struck the county was an EF-4, with 170 MPH winds and nearly 1 mile wide at its peak, according to the National Weather Service. Judge/Executive David Westerfield declared a state of emergency and a weeklong nightly curfew in affected areas. 

“Last night, before this storm got here, my wife and I were standing on the front porch, we stood on the porch and watched this go to our neighbors and when we got there about 12:30 last night, I’ve not left, I’ve not been home, and I won’t go until these people are taken care of,” he said. 

“This morning, shortly after daybreak, my cell phone rang,” Westerfield said. “I looked down, it was [Kentucky Governor] Andy Beshear. We’ve got a governor, regardless of the political affiliation, he and I are on different sides, we still walk the same path. We want to help the same people.”

The surge of severe storms comes as the federal government revealed plans to lay off hundreds of employees from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — the agency responsible for monitoring hazardous weather and managing the National Weather Service (NWS). At the same time, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has made major adjustments to training programs for emergency managers, according to Reuters, just ahead of the June 1 start of hurricane season.

Last week in Kentucky, among the fallen was Laurel County Fire Major Leslie Leatherman, a first responder who was found shielding his wife from the storm. The county seat of London experienced widespread destruction.

Laurel County Coroner Doug Bowling and Pulaski County Coroner Clyde Strunk identified 18 of the confirmed victims. Other Kentucky counties that saw fatalities included one person each in Pulaski and Russell counties.

Tornadoes were also responsible for seven deaths in Missouri’s St. Louis County and two in Scott County. In Virginia, falling trees killed two in Fairfax County.

In Missouri, Gov. Mike Kehoe activated Task Force 1, a division of the Boone County Fire Protection District, including an 88-person search and rescue team as well as a five-person DSAR team (Disaster Situation Awareness and Reconnaissance). The DSAR team is comprised of drone pilots, GIS analysts and data technicians who provide live streaming imagery. The Task Force 1 members worked with St. Charles County using “live find” and human remains detection canines.

The Missouri governor also requested a federal emergency declaration to expedite FEMA assistance for St. Louis County and the surrounding area. 

The 2025 tornado season has been significantly more active than average with many states experiencing unusually high tornado activity. 

As of May 7, there were 724 reports of tornadoes nationwide. That’s 205 more than the historical average for that time of year.