BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Moss Creek Avenue was changed forever when the tornado wiped through Bowling Green.
It claimed the lives of at least 12 people and changed multiple families forever who lived on that street, according to the Warren County Coroner’s Office.
More than half of those victims were children.
Latonya Webb, who lives on that street, is still in shock that she survived the storm. Webb was preparing for an on-call shift when she heard a roar heading her way.
“I heard a sound like a train. It's like a freight train coming through and everything's starting to shake,” said Webb.
Webb was talking to her mom on one phone and her boss on another when she sought safety in her bathtub.
“He said, 'I have a radar. If you hold on two more minutes, it's gonna pass you,'” Webb recalled.
But every second bunkered down in that bathtub seemed like a lifetime.
“My roof blew off and I told my mom, I said, 'I'm about to die. I’m not going to make it through this. I’m about to die,'” Webb said.
When she thought the worst had passed, she climbed out of her window and into a nightmare
“All you hear was people screaming and moaning. People calling on God for help,” said Webb. “It was kids walking around without their parents, and they didn't have own any shoes, and it was just like a nightmare.”
The health care worker tried to get neighbors to safety, but for 10 people, it was too late.
“When I look at the neighborhood now is not so much just the material things that I'm looking at is the lives that were lost,” said Webb.
Seven of those 10 victims were children.
“The two little boys used to play, run in this neighborhood,” said Webb.
Webb can’t imagine weathering the storm with her granddaughters, ages 3 and 6 months, like planned.
“When it all happened, we would have been sleeping in my bed and my bedroom was the first thing is the roof collapsed,” said Webb.
She is taking her recovery one day at a time.
Webb said the only thing still in its place after the storm was a sign with the saying “Walk By Faith” on it. It’s a message she’ll keep near as she rebuilds her life.