Tornado survival: Couple loses an arm each while holding each other; mother rescues son buried in debris

In the hard-hit town of London, Kentucky, residents are still digging through rubble after a devastating tornado outbreak killed 19 people and injured at least 10 more nearly a week ago. The National Weather Service has confirmed the deadly tornado that impacted parts of Pulaski and Laurel counties was an EF4 and was nearly a mile wide. Maximum wind speeds during the tornado reached 170 miles per hour.

Entire neighborhoods were flattened, and the damage stretches for miles across Laurel, Pulaski and Russell counties. But, amid the destruction, incredible stories of survival are emerging—stories of families who clung to each other and crawled through debris to find loved ones still alive.

Gail and Paul Cline, both in their 60s, were holding one another in their bedroom when the EF4 tornado struck their Laurel County home. As the wind tore through their house, it ripped them apart—along with their arms. Both lost an arm in the storm.

"They were in this bedroom, and you can see where stuff came through," their niece, Brandy Bowman told Lex18. "This is where they were and the neighbor came, he heard them screaming for help. So he came to help them. He pulled them out into the hallway there."

The Cline's home, which has been in the family for generations, was shredded.

“The doctors said they lost opposite arms because they were holding each other,” Bowman said.

"My aunt and uncle lost everything in the recent tornadoes in London, Ky," niece Taylor Baker wrote on GoFundMe. "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."

Paul is recovering but struggling with memory loss related to dementia while Gail remains on life support. Their home, vehicles and belongings are gone. Their dog Sadie was later found waiting in the damaged bedroom.

Click here support Gail and Paul Cline on GoFundMe.

'I thought he was dead': Kentucky mother rescues toddler from tornado rubble

For Tara Hollifield, the tornado hit without warning. A widespread internet outage meant she never received the tornado alert. “You see it on the news and on social media, but you don't ever think it would happen to you or your family,” Hollifield told 10News in Tennessee.

When she heard the roar of the storm heading directly for her home, she rushed to find her 2-year-old son, Parker—but the tornado got to him first. “It flew me up into the air, and when I landed, I immediately got up and went to look for him,” she said.

Miraculously, she found him buried in debris—alive. “The first thing I remember is when I got down, I really thought my son was dead,” she said. Parker survived with only minor injuries. Hollifield has since returned to the wreckage to salvage what she can: a few toys, baby clothes and an ultrasound photo.

“All of my neighbors that are around me are gone. It’s tough,” she said. “But I'm thankful to be alive. It's a miracle to God that I'm standing here right now, for me and him both.”

Parker will turn two on May 30 and is doing OK after the storm. His mother has scratches and bruises and told the New York Post she plans to be more weather aware going forward.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help them rebuild: Help the Hollifield Family.

The tornado tore through the Sunshine Hills neighborhood in the city of London just after midnight on May 17. Homes were shredded, power lines downed and entire communities left in shock. AccuWeather experts say the multiday severe weather outbreak caused an estimated $9 billion to $11 billion in total damage and economic loss.

Volunteers and emergency crews are still working around the clock to clear debris, distribute aid and support displaced families. Despite the devastation, neighbors continue to show up for one another.

Click here for more information on how you can help the Laurel County, Kentucky, community recover.

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