A Kentucky couple has suffered unimaginable injuries after a devastating tornado with 170 mph winds tore through their home.
Paul and Gail Cline, both in their 60s, were huddled together in their bedroom last Friday (May 16) when the violent storm touched down in Laurel County.
Holding hands tightly for comfort as the tornado barreled through, the force of the wind was so strong that it not only ripped their home to pieces, but also tore off one arm from each spouse.
“The doctors said that they lost opposite arms because they were holding each other,” the couple’s niece, Brandy Bowman, told WLEX.
After the tornado passed, a neighbor combing through the debris heard cries for help and found Gail trapped under the wreckage. She yelled out for help, saying she could see an arm in the hallway, which turned out to be her own, ripped off during the chaos.
“She said, ‘I need help. I see an arm down the hallway,’” Bowman recalled.
Rescue workers rushed to the scene and pulled Paul and Gail from the wreckage. They were both taken to London Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Gail, who also suffered punctured lungs due to rib fragments, is currently on life support in a medically induced coma. Paul, who is now in stable condition, remains hospitalized and is struggling to comprehend what happened due to dementia, per the New York post.
“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,” said Taylor Baker, another niece.
The twister flattened their home and destroyed all their belongings. “Their home and vehicles, and everything they’ve worked for is gone,” Baker wrote in a GoFundMe post launched to support the couple.
“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,” they added.
In a small but emotional miracle, the Clines’ 12-year-old dog, Sadie, who went missing during the tornado, returned days later. She was found in the rubble of their destroyed home, waiting in their bedroom. Sadie has since been brought to the hospital to comfort Paul.
As of Sunday (May 18), 19 people had died in Kentucky due to the storm, with the majority of casualties coming from Laurel County, according to the Associated press .
The National Weather Service classified the tornado as an EF-4, describing it as “violent,” per Fox News.
Governor Andy Beshear had declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, and the community has since rallied around the Clines.
In a heartfelt Facebook post Baker thanked volunteers and strangers who showed up with supplies, trailers, and prayers.
“The outpouring of love, help & generosity from this community has been insane. I’ve been fed 3 times today, offered everything under the sun from strangers, and so many stopped to help lift and carry and clean up what we could salvage for my family,” she said.
“To my friends who showed up with trucks and trailers and drinks and who were ready to help any way they can, I will never be able to explain to you what it meant to me. To the strangers who dropped food and drinks and supplies and helped carry and load, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
“I know my aunt and uncle would be so so grateful for this outpouring of help. And for the calls, texts, and prayers for my family, thank you all so much,” she added.
