Satellite Images Show Tornado's Trail of Destruction in Kentucky
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Satellite images reveal the devastation in London, Kentucky, after a tornado pummeled the area last week.
Why It Matters
The storms were part of a multi-day severe weather outbreak that hit multiple states, including Kentucky, Virginia, Alabama, Kansas and Missouri, over the course of several days.
At least 19 people died in Kentucky, with hundreds of homes destroyed, leaving many homeless, the Associated Press reported. More than two dozen people died throughout several states in four days as a result of the severe weather.
A photograph captured by Chinese commercial satellite company MizarVision on May 20, 2025, shows damaged houses in London, Kentucky, after a tornado swept through the area on May 16.
A photograph captured by Chinese commercial satellite company MizarVision on May 20, 2025, shows damaged houses in London, Kentucky, after a tornado swept through the area on May 16.
MizarVision/AirSpace
What To Know
Satellite images taken on May 20 by Chinese company MizarVision as part of its mapping service AirSpace showed a line of devastated homes after a tornado barreled through London, the county seat of Laurel County, Kentucky, on May 16.
Homes were leveled as the tornado swept westward through the town, which has an estimated population of 7,500 as of 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
A photograph captured by Airbus on April 9, 2025, and provided by Google Earth shows homes in London, Kentucky, a month before a tornado swept through the area on May 16.
A photograph captured by Airbus on April 9, 2025, and provided by Google Earth shows homes in London, Kentucky, a month before a tornado swept through the area on May 16.
Airbus/Google Earth
Entire rows of homes appear completely flattened in a stark contrast to satellite imagery from April, captured in an Airbus photo provided by Google Earth, which shows the same neighborhood intact before the tornado struck.
In an update on Tuesday, the office of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the 19 confirmed fatalities in the state included 17 people in Laurel County, one in Pulaski County and one in Russell County.
Elsewhere, Reuters reported damage to thousands of homes in neighboring Missouri following the outbreak, which also triggered widespread power outages.
In Kansas, footage emerged online of what storm chasers described as a wedge tornado as a violent storm system moved across the Sunflower State.
Meteorologists at AccuWeather told Newsweek following the impact that the town of Plevna appeared the hardest hit.
According to one online account, the tornado was "as wide as the town itself."
What People Are Saying
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, in an update on Tuesday: "I promise that we will be there for our people until every home and every life is rebuilt. And I want to thank all our heroic first responders for the work they've done over the past few days.
"This is another incredibly tough time for Kentucky. And it's another reminder that life is short and it's our duty to be kind and do good. As always—we will get through this together."
What Happens Next
According to analysts at AccuWeather, the total damage and economic loss from the outbreak could total between $9 billion and $11 billion.
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