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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How to survive a tornado: why bathtubs are now dangerous and the 'safe havens' that could kill you
A devoted married couple who each lost an arm during a devastating tornado that tore through their Kentucky this month laid bare the gruesome havoc wreaked by catastrophic storms. Paul and Gail Cline, both in their late 60s, were hunkered down in their bedroom in the small city of London as a twister with 170mph wind speeds shredded everything in its path on May 16.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Couple each lose an arm as they embrace while a twister with 170mph winds wrecks their home
A married Kentucky couple both in their late 60s each lost an arm as they embraced while tornado wrecked their home. Paul and Gail Cline were hunkered down in their London, Kentucky bedroom as a twister with 170mph wind speeds made them fear for their lives on May 16. In what could have been their final moments, the couple - who have been married for 29 years - held each other tightly as the storm raged on, sending sheet rock and shattered glass through the air. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO When the terrifying tornado finally settled, a neighbor rushed to the ruins of the Clines' home, where Paul and Gail were crying for help. 'When they were found, they were holding each other, and that's why they lost opposite arms,' Brandy Bowman, one of the Clines' nieces, told WLKY. 'Because they were holding on to each other, and whatever impacted them impacted them at the same time.' Taylor Baker, another niece, thanked the heroic neighbor for saving her aunt and uncle's lives. 'He pulled a cord from something and put a tourniquet on her arm, and that's what kept her from bleeding out,' Baker told the outlet. Paul, a beloved community pastor, and Gail were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they have remained ever since the harrowing incident. Gail suffered extreme injuries was put in a medically induced coma and placed on life support. She sustained damage to her ribs, liver and lungs. Fortunately, she was able to come off life support on Thursday, and a heartwarming photo captured the moment Paul and Gail laid eyes on each other for the first time since their ordeal. Paul's injuries were less severe, despite losing his arm as well, and he is in recovery. Although their long-time home was reduced to rubble, their tiny 12-year-old dog Sadie survived the disaster. The dog was found in their bedroom, and was brought to the hospital to comfort the pair battling to recovery. Rebuilding: The elderly couple will have to put their lives and their home back together after they leave hospital The furry guest especially excited Paul, who has dementia and is struggling to comprehend what exactly transpired. 'All I can't get out of my head is just how terrified they both were. I cannot imagine the fear that was going through their minds, but there's one thing about them they are godly people,' Baker told Lex18. A GoFundMe created by Baker to help the Clines rebuilt their lives has already raised nearly $56,000. Baker wrote: 'My aunt and uncle lost everything in the recent tornadoes in London, Ky. They both lost an arm and my aunt is still on life support. 'Their home and vehicles and everything they've worked for is gone. They are two of the best people you could ever find. 'My aunt's daughter also has stage 4 cancer so they were already battling that before this hit. They need all the help and prayers they can get.' Governor Andy Beshear had declared a state of emergency the day the Clines lost nearly everything. 'Once again we have a dangerous weather system sweeping across the commonwealth,' Beshear urgently warned. 'We expect a significant round of weather coming this afternoon and into tonight that will produce strong winds that could lead to power outages, a possibility of hail, flooding and potential for tornadoes. 'We need everyone to be really careful and make sure you have weather alerts on and are at a location where you can seek safety if needed.'
NDTV
23-05-2025
- Climate
- NDTV
US Couple Loses Arms Holding Each Other During Devastating EF-4 Tornado
A US couple lost an arm each as they were sheltering inside their home, trying to evade a devastating EF-4 tornado that hit Kentucky last week. Paul and Gail Cline, who are in their 60s and from Laurel County, were holding each other, which led to each of them losing their opposite arms, according to a report in NBC affiliate WLEX. "When they were found, they were holding each other, and that's why they lost opposite arms, because they were holding on to each other, and whatever impacted them impacted them at the same time," said Brandy Bowman about her uncle and aunt. As per Ms Bowman, both of them were in the bedroom when the tornado hit the area on May 16. A neighbour heard the couple shouting for help and scurried there to pull them into a hallway. "He pulled a cord from something and put a tourniquet on her arm, and that's what kept her from bleeding out," said another one of the Clines' nieces, Taylor Baker. After being pulled out, both were taken to London Hospital. While Mr Cline is doing alright, his wife has suffered broken ribs, liver and lung damage and staples in her head. A GoFundMe page has been set up for the Clines. The page highlighted that the couple's home was ripped apart and that they also lost both of their vehicles. As of the last update, over 1,200 people had donated more than Rs 52 lakh ($61,000) for the couple. The National Weather Service confirmed that the tornado was a powerful EF-4 storm that devastated local communities and killed 19 people. As per the official meteorological data, the tornado reached peak winds of 170 miles per hour. At its widest point, it was nearly a mile wide, and it stayed on the ground for approximately 56 miles. The agency stated that EF-4 tornado's path of damage spanned Russell, Pulaski and Laurel counties, starting in the town of Somerset and ending in London. It was only the sixth EF4 or EF5 tornado in Kentucky in the last 50 years.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Kentucky couple each lose an arm as they embrace while a tornado with 170mph winds wrecks their home
A Kentucky married couple passionately embraced as a catastrophic tornado wrecked their home and tore off one of each of their arms. Paul and Gail Cline, both in their late 60s, were hunkered down in their London, Kentucky bedroom as a twister with 170 mph wind speeds made them fear for their lives on May 16. In what could have been their final moments, the couple - who have been married for 29 years - held each other tightly as the storm raged on, sending sheet rock and shattered glass flying through the air. When the terrifying tornado finally settled, a neighbor rushed to the ruins of the Clines' home, where Paul and Gail were crying for help. 'When they were found, they were holding each other, and that's why they lost opposite arms,' Brandy Bowman, one of the Clines' nieces, told WLKY. 'Because they were holding on to each other, and whatever impacted them impacted them at the same time.' Taylor Baker, another niece, thanked the heroic neighbor for saving her aunt and uncle's lives. 'He pulled a cord from something and put a tourniquet on her arm, and that's what kept her from bleeding out,' Baker told the outlet. Paul, a beloved community pastor, and Gail were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they have remained ever since the harrowing incident. Gail suffered extreme injuries was put in a medically induced coma and placed on life support. She sustained damage to her ribs, liver and lungs. Fortunately, Gail was finally able to come off life support on Thursday, and a heartwarming photograph captured the moment Paul and Gail laid eyes on each other since the life-changing tornado. Paul's injuries were less severe, despite losing his arm as well, and he is in recovery. Although their long-time residence was reduced to rubble, their tiny 12-year-old puppy, Sadie, survived the disaster. Sadie was found inside what was left of the Clines' bedroom, awaiting their return. The cherished pet was brought to the hospital to comfort the pair battling for their health. The furry guest especially excited Paul, who has dementia and is struggling to comprehend what exactly transpired. 'All I can't get out of my head is just how terrified they both were. I cannot imagine the fear that was going through their minds, but there's one thing about them they are godly people,' Baker told Lex18. A GoFundMe created by Baker to help the Clines rebuilt their lives has already raised nearly $56,000. Baker wrote: 'My aunt and uncle lost everything in the recent tornadoes in London, Ky. They both lost an arm and my aunt is still on life support. 'Their home and vehicles and everything they've worked for is gone. They are two of the best people you could ever find. 'My aunts daughter also has stage 4 cancer so they were already battling that before this hit. They need all the help and prayers they can get.' Governor Andy Beshear had declared a state of emergency the day the Clines lost nearly everything. 'Once again we have a dangerous weather system sweeping across the commonwealth,' Beshear urgently warned. 'We expect a significant round of weather coming this afternoon and into tonight that will produce strong winds that could lead to power outages, a possibility of hail, flooding and potential for tornadoes. 'We need everyone to be really careful and make sure you have weather alerts on and are at a location where you can seek safety if needed.'
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Couple's arms ‘ripped from bodies while they clung to each other' in tornado as horrified neighbor finds limb in home
A DOTING couple's arms were horrifically torn off while they desperately clung to each other as a tornado demolished their home. The violent mile-wide tornado killed about 20 people as winds of 170 miles per hour smashed parts of Kentucky and Arkansas. 4 4 4 4 Doctors in Laurel County, Kentucky, said that Gail and Paul Cline had lost arms because they were clutching each other during the EF-4 tornado, reported NBC-affiliated Lex 18. Gail is on life support after being placed under a medically induced coma in London Hospital. Paul was also injured, but his condition has improved. However, because he has dementia, he remains confused about what happened, said their niece, Brandy Bowman. She and Taylor Baker, another niece, told the broadcaster that their aunt and uncle were in their bedroom when the tornado struck. They were trapped inside their home, which has been in the family for generations. The couple's screams for help were fortunately heard by a neighbor, who bravely entered the ruined home. "He came to help them. He pulled them out into the hallway there," said Brandy. Taylor added that neighbors had been searching for survivors when they heard Gail's screams. "She said 'I need help. I see an arm down the hallway'." Gail had spotted her own arm - which she didn't realize had been ripped away during the tornado. Kentucky tornadoes leave at least 16 dead & many injured in 'mass casualty' event as storms rip through mid-west Brandy added, "The doctors said where they lost opposite arms is because they were holding each other." Filming of the aftermath revealed the house has lost its roof, and the couple's bedroom only has two walls standing. They both lost an arm and my aunt is still on life support. They are two of the best people you could ever find Taylor Baker via GoFundMe The walls looked like they had been struck by multiple bullets, as they were pocked with huge holes where large debris had punctured them. "All I can't get out of my head is just how terrified they both were," said Taylor. "I cannot imagine the fear that was going through their minds, but there's one thing about them - they are godly people." Online fundraiser for Gail and Paul Cline who lost their arms during a tornado in Kentucky Gail and Paul's close-knit family has launched an online fundraiser to help pay for the couple's rising medical costs after last Friday's violent tornado So far the GoFundMe page has secured more than $41,000 in donations - just $9,000 shy of their target. Their niece's heartbreaking description reads, "My aunt and uncle lost everything in the recent tornadoes in London, Ky. "They both lost an arm and my aunt is still on life support. Their home and vehicles and everything they've worked for is gone. "They are two of the best people you could ever find. "My aunt's daughter also has stage 4 cancer so they were already battling that before this hit. "They need all the help and prayers they can get." The women are trying to clean up the house, which holds precious memories of their childhood. "We grew up being babysat by our ma maw in this house. We played in all of these houses, we had dinner in all of these houses. It's hard," they added. Incredibly, their aunt and uncle's 12-year-old dog, Sadie, was discovered after the tornado. The pooch had run away, but later returned and was found in a bedroom. Entire neighborhoods were knocked down during the tornado which struck Laurel, Pulaski and Russell counties overnight between Friday evening and Saturday morning. Locals told the broadcaster that they were struggling to cope with the fact that neighbors had died, and the homes of those killed had been turned into a pile of rubble. Seventeen of the 19 fatalities were from Laurel County. HERO'S DEATH Among the victims was hero Kentucky firefighter Leslie Leatherman, whose first thought was to rush out and protect his wife. Leatherman, 57, died while shielding his wife, Michelle, from flying debris, said Terry Wattenbarger, deputy chief of the Laurel County Fire Department, where Leatherman served as a major. He was found on top of his wife, in a field about 100 yards (91 meters) from their destroyed home. Michelle Leatherman survived and was in critical condition on Tuesday at the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital in Lexington, a spokesperson said. Pat White Jr, Whitley County Judge-Executive, paid tribute to the "very hard-working, very dedicated man. "He was a great mentor to many of them. We're sure going to miss him." The tornado punched its deadly path across more than 55 miles (88 km), according to the National Weather Service in Jackson, Kentucky. At its peak, it spread to about a mile (1.6 km) wide and had winds up to 170 mph (274 kph). The cleanup continues, with hundreds of volunteers helping to distribute food and water. What is a tornado and what are the categories? Tornadoes occur most frequently in the United States, where there is an average of more than 1,000 recorded each year A tornado is a violently rotating column of air touching the ground. They're nature's most violent storms, capable of killing people and wiping out neighbourhoods in a matter of seconds, according to the U.S. National Weather Service. They can strike with little warning, developing and dissipating quickly. Most tornadoes are on the ground for less than 15 minutes. Tornadoes can form at any time of year, but most occur in the spring and summer months along with thunderstorms. May and June are usually the peak months for tornadoes. Categories: The National Weather Service measures tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale ranging from 0 to 5. This was developed by Dr. Tetsuya Theodore Fujita to estimate tornado wind speeds based on damage left behind by a tornado. At the low end, an EF rating of 0 measures three-second gusts of wind from 65 to 85 mph (105 to 138 kph). An EF3 tornado will have estimated wind speeds between 136 and 165 mph (218 and 266 kph). EF-4 is classed as "violent" with wind speeds reaching 166-200 mph (267-322 kph). At the high end, an EF rating of 5 measures gusts over 200 mph (322 kph).
