'Don't ignore those alerts.'
Kenneth Johnson was just three steps into his basement when the tree crushed his home in Beechland Beach. Kenneth Johnson was just three steps into his basement when a large tree fell on his property, crushing his home. The storm that destroyed several houses in Beechland Beach, a riverfront area near Prospect, was upgraded to an EF-2 tornado, recording up to 120 mile per hour winds. The only injury Johnson sustained was a scratch on his head. Johnson emphasized the importance of staying indoors during the storm, stating that he was lucky to live and that he now knows there are things he needs to do to prevent such scams.
Published : 4 weeks ago by José Alonzo in Weather
Kenneth Johnson was just three steps into his basement when the tree crushed his home in Beechland Beach.
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BEECHLAND BEACH, Ky. — The storm that mangled several houses in Beechland Beach, a riverfront area near Prospect, was upgraded to an EF-2 tornado on Thursday, recording up to 120 mile per hour winds.
On Wednesday, Shirley Avenue and Bass Road were completely blocked off from the public as crews continued to fix downed powerlines and cleanup debris.
Kenneth Johnson was sitting on his couch when he got the tornado warning, alerting him to take cover. Within 10 seconds, he said he was three steps down into his basement when a large tree fell on his property, crushing his home.
"They opened up the basement window, tear it out in order to get me out of the basement," Johnson said. "I had no way to get out of there other than that."
After the storm passed Johnson said he was going through a whirlwind of emotions himself.
He initially hesitated to take cover in his basement, but ultimately it's what saved his life and he said he's glad he listened to the warning.
"Don't ignore those alerts," Johnson said. "Every now and then it won't hurt you to get up and walk down in the basement and cover your head. If you don't, it looks like those trees can come and sit in your lap. Heed to those warnings."
Johnson said he doesn't know why the man upstairs decided to keep him alive, but that he now knows there are things he needed to take care of.
"I'm very, very fortunate I was able to walk out of there," Johnson said.
The only injury he sustained was a scratch on top of his head. Johnson added that his family came to town to check on him.
"The good, you see churches and neighbors helping others," Gordon said. "You see the bad, where people are just gawking and bothering first responders. Then there's the ugly, the scam artists the roofers and tree people. Call the BBB [Better Business Bureau] do not be scammed when you're already hurting."
Topics: Tornadoes