A DOTING couple’s arms were horrifically torn off while they desperately clung to each other as a tornado demolished their home.
The violent mile-wide tornado killed about 20 people as winds of 170 miles per hour smashed parts of Kentucky and Arkansas.
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Doctors in Laurel County, Kentucky, said that Gail and Paul Cline had lost arms because they were clutching each other during the EF-4 tornado, reported NBC-affiliated Lex 18.
Gail is on life support after being placed under a medically induced coma in London Hospital.
Paul was also injured, but his condition has improved. However, because he has dementia, he remains confused about what happened, said their niece, Brandy Bowman.
She and Taylor Baker, another niece, told the broadcaster that their aunt and uncle were in their bedroom when the tornado struck.
They were trapped inside their home, which has been in the family for generations.
The couple’s screams for help were fortunately heard by a neighbor, who bravely entered the ruined home.
“He came to help them. He pulled them out into the hallway there,” said Brandy.
Taylor added that neighbors had been searching for survivors when they heard Gail’s screams.
“She said ‘I need help. I see an arm down the hallway’.”
Gail had spotted her own arm – which she didn’t realize had been ripped away during the tornado.
Brandy added, “The doctors said where they lost opposite arms is because they were holding each other.”
Filming of the aftermath revealed the house has lost its roof, and the couple’s bedroom only has two walls standing.
They both lost an arm and my aunt is still on life support. They are two of the best people you could ever find
The walls looked like they had been struck by multiple bullets, as they were pocked with huge holes where large debris had punctured them.
“All I can’t get out of my head is just how terrified they both were,” said Taylor.
“I cannot imagine the fear that was going through their minds, but there’s one thing about them – they are godly people.”
Online fundraiser for Gail and Paul Cline who lost their arms during a tornado in Kentucky
Gail and Paul’s close-knit family has launched an online fundraiser to help pay for the couple’s rising medical costs after last Friday’s violent tornado
So far the GoFundMe page has secured more than $41,000 in donations – just $9,000 shy of their target.
Their niece’s heartbreaking description reads, “My aunt and uncle lost everything in the recent tornadoes in London, Ky.
“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.”
The women are trying to clean up the house, which holds precious memories of their childhood.
“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,” they added.
Incredibly, their aunt and uncle’s 12-year-old dog, Sadie, was discovered after the tornado.
The pooch had run away, but later returned and was found in a bedroom.
Entire neighborhoods were knocked down during the tornado which struck Laurel, Pulaski and Russell counties overnight between Friday evening and Saturday morning.
Locals told the broadcaster that they were struggling to cope with the fact that neighbors had died, and the homes of those killed had been turned into a pile of rubble.
Seventeen of the 19 fatalities were from Laurel County.
HERO’S DEATH
Among the victims was hero Kentucky firefighter Leslie Leatherman, whose first thought was to rush out and protect his wife.
Leatherman, 57, died while shielding his wife, Michelle, from flying debris, said Terry Wattenbarger, deputy chief of the Laurel County Fire Department, where Leatherman served as a major.
He was found on top of his wife, in a field about 100 yards (91 meters) from their destroyed home.
Michelle Leatherman survived and was in critical condition on Tuesday at the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital in Lexington, a spokesperson said.
Pat White Jr, Whitley County Judge-Executive, paid tribute to the “very hard-working, very dedicated man.
“He was a great mentor to many of them. We’re sure going to miss him.”
The tornado punched its deadly path across more than 55 miles (88 km), according to the National Weather Service in Jackson, Kentucky.
At its peak, it spread to about a mile (1.6 km) wide and had winds up to 170 mph (274 kph).
The cleanup continues, with hundreds of volunteers helping to distribute food and water.
What is a tornado and what are the categories?
Tornadoes occur most frequently in the United States, where there is an average of more than 1,000 recorded each year
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air touching the ground.
They’re nature’s most violent storms, capable of killing people and wiping out neighbourhoods in a matter of seconds, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.
They can strike with little warning, developing and dissipating quickly.
Most tornadoes are on the ground for less than 15 minutes.
Tornadoes can form at any time of year, but most occur in the spring and summer months along with thunderstorms. May and June are usually the peak months for tornadoes.
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The National Weather Service measures tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale ranging from 0 to 5.
This was developed by Dr. Tetsuya Theodore Fujita to estimate tornado wind speeds based on damage left behind by a tornado.
At the low end, an EF rating of 0 measures three-second gusts of wind from 65 to 85 mph (105 to 138 kph).
An EF3 tornado will have estimated wind speeds between 136 and 165 mph (218 and 266 kph). EF-4 is classed as “violent” with wind speeds reaching 166-200 mph (267-322 kph).
At the high end, an EF rating of 5 measures gusts over 200 mph (322 kph).
