A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged hundreds of homes, tossed vehicles, left many homeless, and killed at least 19 people, most of them in southeastern Laurel County.

Families hunkered down in their bathrooms and emerged to find their homes gone when a deadly tornado barreled through the community of London, Kentucky, on Friday, leaving behind only foundations

A reported tornado claimed lives in Laurel County, causing destruction and displacing many. Shelters are open and efforts are underway to help those affected.

Amid their collective trauma after the deadly tornado, the survivors are assessing what’s next as volunteers help London residents clean up what’s left of their lives.

After a deadly weekend in Laurel County, boots are on the ground everywhere to help communities rebuild what they can.

As recovery efforts continue, emergency management teams are conducting damage assessments to help Kentucky qualify for federal disaster assistance.

The severity of the damage in the county depends on the specific location, but preliminary assessments show that some areas sustained damage from a high-end EF-3 tornado, according to the NWS. An EF-3 tornado has at least three-second wind gusts of between 136-165 miles per hour.

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - Some homes are still standing after a tornado came through the area, but the homes of some other folks were reduced to rubble. The Sunshine Hills subdivision is just west of I-75 in Laurel County and that is where many people will have to rebuild from their foundations.

Walmart is partnering with Operation BBQ Relief to provide free meals to those in need in the Kentucky counties impacted by the deadly tornado.

LEXINGTON, Ky. ( WKYT /Gray News) – A firefighter in Kentucky died Saturday morning after being injured while responding to storm damage. The Laurel County Fire Department confirmed the death of Major Leslie Roger Leatherman in a post on social media.