Cleanup begins as London-Corbin Airport damaged by storms, presumed tornado
.JPG "A helicopter and trucks were buried in a collapsed hangar at the London-Corbin Airport after severe overnight storms and a presumed tornado Saturday, May 17, 2025.")
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Multiple dead following severe weather in KY
A violent storm system ripped across Kentucky, destroying homes, businesses and at least one church. Multiple fatalities have been confirmed.
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Workers were busy as usual, scurrying around the London-Corbin Airport on Saturday, but on this day, they were starting to clear debris and salvage what they could from the storm destruction left behind hours earlier.
Half the airport — which apparently took a direct hit — looked like a landfill. A long row of hangars containing private airplanes, two medical evacuation helicopter outfits and other small aviation-related businesses were smashed all but flat. The runway was covered in twisted bits of metal.
“You never expect something like this. It’s like winning the lottery, but in reverse. What are the chances?” said Charles May, co-owner of Kolb Aircraft, an ultralight aircraft designer.
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May and several employees and friends were pulling out tools and whatever else they could find from the remains of Kolb’s large hangar, much of which leaned precariously. An ultralight that they were building had been turned upside down and buried inside.
The only good news was that nobody died on the premises, and the airport’s terminal and neighboring restaurant seemed to have survived intact, officials said.
The overnight shift at PHI Air Medical huddled inside a small wooden shed at one side of their hangar when the storm hit, officials said. On Saturday, that shed looked mostly undamaged, while the hangar around it had collapsed onto the bright yellow medical transport helicopter, smashing it to pieces, as well as onto several pickup trucks that were parked inside.
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Although planes won’t be able to land at the airport for days because of the blocked runway, helicopters were buzzing into and out of the place frequently. London Mayor Randall Weddle said he had just finished taking a helicopter tour of his city.
“Even now, you really can’t wrap your mind around this,” Weddle said. “You can see where it stayed on the ground all the way from The Oaks of London to the Pulaski County line. For miles, you just see this line of debris thrown everywhere.”
This story was originally published May 17, 2025 at 2:17 PM.
