London, Kentucky rebuilding one year after tornado

London, Kentucky is still rebuilding a year after the May 16, 2025 tornado that tore through Laurel County and killed 17 people there, according to local and state reporting. LPM reported on May 22 that residents are repairing homes and, in some cases, trying to rebuild with future storms in mind. The tornado was later rated EF-4, with peak winds of 170 mph, according to the Kentucky Association of Counties’ summary of the National Weather Service survey. A year later, some residents remain displaced and local officials are still tracking a recovery that has stretched well beyond the first cleanup. ### How much damage did the tornado cause in and around London? The May 16, 2025 storm crossed Russell, Pulaski and Laurel counties and stayed on the ground for about 60 miles, according to the Kentucky Association of Counties’ account of the National Weather Service survey. The state association said the tornado touched down at 10:27 p.m. and ended at 11:56 p.m., with a damage path nearly a mile wide. Laurel County took the deadliest blow. LPM reported that 17 people in the county were killed, while the broader storm system killed more people across southern Kentucky. WBIR, citing anniversary coverage from May 16, 2026, reported that the EF-4 tornado destroyed more than 800 homes in southeast Kentucky, including much of the Sunshine Hills neighborhood near London. (kaco.org) ### Which neighborhoods are still feeling it a year later? Sunshine Hills remains one of the clearest markers of the storm’s damage. The Kentucky Association of Counties said the subdivision sustained catastrophic damage in the immediate aftermath, becoming a center of debris removal and volunteer work. One year later, residents were still describing long-term displacement. (lpm.org) WBIR reported on May 16, 2026 that Tonya Poindexter, a lifelong London resident, said “three-fourths” of her neighborhood was still displaced. LPM’s anniversary reporting on May 22 said people were continuing to rebuild homes while thinking about how to better withstand the next severe storm. (kaco.org) ### What has recovery looked like over the past year? Gov. Andy Beshear said in May 2025 that the state would stay engaged in Laurel County “today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year and the years to come,” according to WBIR’s anniversary report. In the first days after the tornado, the Kentucky Association of Counties said road crews, volunteers, nonprofit groups, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Kentucky State Police and the Kentucky National Guard were involved in cleanup and security operations. (wbir.com) The state also moved quickly to seek federal support. The Kentucky Association of Counties reported that Beshear sent a formal request for a major disaster declaration on May 20, 2025, saying the storm likely destroyed or significantly damaged more than 1,500 homes and seeking FEMA individual assistance for eight counties and public assistance for 22 counties. (wbir.com) ### Why are residents talking about the next storm already? LPM framed the current phase of rebuilding around resilience as well as replacement. Its May 22, 2026 report said some residents are rebuilding with future disasters in mind, reflecting how recovery in London has shifted from debris removal to longer-term housing and planning decisions. (kaco.org) The anniversary events also showed that the tornado is now being remembered publicly as well as repaired privately. LPM reported on May 19, 2026 that Laurel County held a Day of Remembrance event the previous weekend to honor those who died and reflect on a year of recovery. That commemoration came as reconstruction continued in damaged neighborhoods and at storm-hit sites around the county. (lpm.org) ### What comes next for Laurel County? As of May 22, 2026, LPM reported that rebuilding was still underway in London and surrounding parts of Laurel County. The next milestones are local rather than ceremonial: residents returning home, reconstruction timelines moving forward, and officials continuing to measure how much of the housing stock damaged in May 2025 has been replaced or repaired. (lpm.org 1) (lpm.org 2)