Over Memorial Day weekend, a tornado destroyed Devin Johnson’s home in Kentucky, the same land where another storm had left him homeless in 2021, upending his life for the second time.
Johnson, 21, watched Tuesday as workmen used chainsaws to chop through the ruins of the trailer he shared with his grandparents and girlfriend. The scene was all too familiar to his family.
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Another devastating tornado outbreak in December 2021 devastated their old residence in the small western Kentucky village of Barnsley, killing 81 people in the Bluegrass State.
“We never thought it would happen again,” Johnson explained.
He remarked that, despite the uncertainty of starting afresh, they have made one decision.
“All we know for sure is that we’re not going back here,” Johnson remarked. “It’s going to have so many memories of us losing everything.”
A massive tornado struck Barnsley on Sunday, packing winds of up to 165 mph (266 kph) and wreaking havoc across roughly 36 miles (58 kilometers) of Kentucky, according to the National Weather Service.
Several rounds of strong storms slammed the region, and damage survey teams were examining the debris to determine the number of tornadoes impacted. Another powerful storm passed over Mayfield on Sunday, where the community is still struggling to recover from a tornado that struck in 2021.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued a state of emergency following the Sunday storms, which resulted in five deaths statewide. On Monday, the governor toured storm-stricken parts of western Kentucky.
“We are committed to helping rebuild every home and every life—that’s a promise,” Beshear stated Tuesday on the social networking site X.
The tornado ripped through a stretch of Barnsley’s storm-weary town, flinging Johnson’s shattered trailer into a yard close to Mark Minton’s family’s home. The tornado damaged the Minton family’s roof and pushed one end of their trailer off its foundation. The 2021 hurricane damaged their home.
“I’m pretty good at statistics and odds, and those numbers don’t add up,” Minton said Tuesday after his family’s home was hit twice.
He doesn’t know if it’s a complete loss this time. His family stayed put after the 2021 storm, but he’s not sure what they’ll do after the most recent twister, which hit the day of his daughter’s wedding. He has a lawn-care business, and his youngest kid will be a high school senior next year, so he wants to stay put.
“I’ve seen my fair share of storms,” Minton explained. “But when the same area—almost pinpoint accuracy—gets hit twice in two years, it’s hard to stay in the area.”
His family fled to safety both times before the storms struck. While his family is staying with relatives, he says he is spending nights at home to avoid potential looting.
Johnson’s family also evacuated before the tornado hit on Sunday, seeking sanctuary with a relative in neighboring Madisonville. They got a sinking feeling when watching weather alerts as the storm approached Barnsley.
“We just all had that feeling that we just lost everything again,” he stated.
Later, as he drove home, emergency vehicles sped by him. “There was just nothing” when he turned the corner into his neighborhood and approached his family’s lot.
In 2021, Johnson’s family gathered in their trailer to endure the storm. With no basement, Johnson huddled in the kitchen, helplessly holding to a table with his grandparents, sister, and boyfriend. In the hallway, his uncle and aunt covered themselves with a mattress.
“You start hearing a roar, and then the entire house starts shaking,” he said. “The electricity flickered, and the windows smashed. And then all of a sudden you feel the wind and pressure and this roar ripping through the home, and it begins tugging on you and attempting to drag you out.”
Despite the trailer’s destruction, they all escaped unharmed. Johnson said they were able to save several possessions from the ruins, including a prized statue of Jesus and Mary that his grandma owned for decades. They retrieved various family items, including photographs.
Johnson’s family furnished their new trailer in phases as they saved up enough money, he explained. However, the recent tornado scattered the family’s home and belongings throughout the area.
“This time, everything that we have is gone,” he stated.
Later that day, they discovered an engagement ring that once belonged to his girlfriend’s grandmother.
“It’s very meaningful to her because it’s the last memory she has of her grandma,” he stated.
His family had insurance coverage for both tragedies. However, their predicament is still as severe as the first time.
“Right now, we have no money,” Johnson stated. “So we’re just trying to figure out how to go next.”
He’s sleeping at a motel near Madisonville, and relatives are assisting with the expenses.
The idea is to relocate to Madisonville. He and his fiancée had been saving money for their own apartment since the 2021 hurricane, but for the time being, they would most likely remain with his grandparents, he said. Johnson works in a warehouse in Madisonville, and his girlfriend works in a factory.
“It’s just been so tight since then with all the bills we had to go through,” he stated.
After witnessing the incredible force of tornadoes, he yearns for a home with a basement.
“We know how powerful they are and how easily they can take your life,” he continued.
