Tornadoes ravages central US, at least 27 killed; Kentucky worst hit

At least 27 people have died after powerful storms swept through parts of the US Midwest and South. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said 18 of the deaths were in his state, with 10 others critically injured.

A strong tornado in Kentucky caused major damage, destroying homes, flipping vehicles, and leaving many residents homeless. Seventeen people died in Laurel County in southeastern Kentucky, and one person was killed in nearby Pulaski County. The victim was Fire Department Major Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who died while responding to the storm.

Governor Beshear said parts of at least two dozen state roads were closed, and some may take days to reopen. He also warned that the death toll could rise.

We need the whole world right now to be really good neighbors to this region, the governor said.

State Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said hundreds of homes were damaged, Kayla Patterson, her husband and their five children huddled in a tub in their basement in London, the county seat, as the tornado raged around them.

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You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train," she recalled Saturday.

The family eventually emerged to the sounds of sirens and panicked neighbors. While the family's own home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said as the sound of power tools buzzed in the background. The neighborhood was dotted with piles of lumber, metal sheeting, insulation and stray belongings a suitcase, a sofa, some six-packs of paper towels.