North Warren County continues to recover after EF-1 tornado

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Those affected by Sunday’s storms in parts of North Warren County are still figuring out what to do next.

The National Weather Service has confirmed that at least one EF-1 tornado hit Butler and north Warren counties on Sunday, May 26 2024.

Survey results say winds peaked at 110 miles per hour, leaving significant damage in its path.

Brother Morgan White, pastor of Highland Baptist Church, says, “Well, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I rolled up to the church, you couldn’t get in, we had to drive around all the trees down.”

Highland Baptist Church has seen much of the damage. The pavilion is crushed, headstones are turned over in the cemetery, and trees are uprooted everywhere, but one thing remains untouched.

Brother White adds, “Although we’ve lost all that, the Lord has his hand on the church. There was not a shingle out of place on it, and I just feel blessed that the Lord was in it.”

Just down the road, on a peninsula of land between the Barren and Gasper Rivers, one premiere Bowling Green Airbnb is under a pile of trees.

Owner of the Riverside Cabin, Jeryn Lee, says, “The first step is to get all the debris off the driveway and the house, and then our work starts because there isn’t insurance coverage available to us to get all of this level of debris removed from the yard, so that’s when me and the neighbor friends kick in and really get this stuff out of here.”

The clean-up is a team effort and those affected by the tornado are working together to repair damages and support one another during this time.

Lee says, “So many people have stayed here and left us incredible reviews online, but as well as a little booklet that we keep inside so over the years we’ve collected some pretty awesome stories where people have spent anniversaries and honeymoons stuff like that. I know this place is special to us and it’s special to so many so we’ll be meticulous in returning it to its previous condition.”

Although a large amount of damage has been seen, fortunately, no injuries have been reported. When cleaning up debris, remember it is important to stay safe, wear protective gear, and call an expert if needed.