A couple in their 60s from Laurel County in Kentucky is recovering in a hospital after a possible EF-3 tornado tore through their home and ripped their arms off as they held each other through the storm.
The Scripps News Group in Lexington, Kentucky spoke with Paul and Gail Cline's nieces, Taylor Baker and Brandy Bowman, about the traumatic event.
While Paul's condition has shown some improvement, Gail is on life support after being placed under a medically induced coma. She also suffered from fragments in her ribs that punctured her lungs.
"They were in this bedroom and you can see where stuff came through. 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," Bowman said.
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Someone was in the neighborhood looking for survivors after the tornado hit on Friday, when they heard Gail's screams.
"She said 'I need help. I see an arm down the hallway," which was actually Gail's arm that was shredded during the tornado explains Bowman. "So the doctors said where they lost opposite arms is because they were holding each other."
Baker and Bowman said the home that's been in the family for generations. Glass and insulation cover what is left of the Cline home, indicating the horrors the couple endured while trapped inside when the twister hit.
"I was home, which is not very far from here. The tornado came very, very close to my house. My neighbors' ring doorbell caught it on their camera, but it did not touch us," explained Baker.
The couple was taken to the London Hospital and has been there ever since. Baker said her uncle has dementia and is having a difficult time processing what happened.
"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," admitted Baker.
The women said it's eerie to see what is left of the home. While some items are gone or destroyed, there are other things, like a robe in the Cline's bedroom, that remained untouched.
The Clines' 12-year-old dog, Sadie, was also found after disappearing during the storm. The older dog got out when the tornado ripped through and was later found in what is left of their bedroom, waiting for someone to return.
"And looking around at the other houses like 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," Baker and Bowman reflect on those moments together.
Now, the women are working to clean up while raising funds to help their aunt and uncle. "Hospital bills and their home. They lost both of their vehicles, both cars. They're really going to need help either rebuilding or finding somewhere to live once they are stable enough."
One thing the family does know is that the couple is strong enough to support each other through the tragedy, just as they did when the storm blew through.
If you'd like to help out the Cline family, you can donate on their GoFundMe.
