LYNCHBURG, Va. – A path of destruction stretching more than 200 miles in southwestern Kentucky. The devastation and shock are being felt all around the world, including here at home.
A local woman is sharing her family’s story of the moment the tornado struck, and it’s not the first time they’ve had to pick up the pieces.
“I’ve seen a lot of pictures and videos,” Vona Shaffer says. “I recognize these places. I grew up there. It’s hard to see it completely destroyed.”
Shaffer spent her whole life in Hopkins County before moving to Lynchburg in the late 2000s. Nearly all of her family and friends are still back home.
[Southwest Virginia nonprofits help those impacted by deadly Kentucky tornadoes]
“It’s sadness, heartbreak, it’s just total devastation right now.”
While her family wasn’t in the direct line of the tornado, some of her friends were. It’s day four in the search for survivors and more than 100 people are still missing.
Dozens are dead, and that number is only expected to rise. Shaffer says the preparation was there, but many didn’t expect it to actually happen.
“I was worried, but we’ve had a lot of warnings and watches over the years,” she says. “Generally, nothing happens. I went to bed Friday night, and I woke up Saturday morning to this.”
It was just before Shaffer left in 2005 that a tornado ripped through the same area. She says her loved ones are reliving it all and asks if you can help, please do.
Nonprofits, such as God’s Pit Crew and the American Red Cross, in our area are working to help the tornado victims and said the best way to help these organizations over the next couple of weeks is to donate either money, time or even blood.