MAYFIELD, Ky. — Hundreds of families in Kentucky have been displaced from their homes because of the tornadoes that ripped through the state almost two weeks ago.
Samantha Costello never imagined she’d be wrapping her children’s Christmas gifts in a hotel hallway, but she has to because she, her children Rylen, Kailah were displaced from their Mayfield home after the deadly EF-4 tornado ripped through Mayfield.
“I’m blessed to have them regardless and anywhere we are, together is home. I told them the other day we’re going home and he [Rylen Beasley] said we don’t have a home. I said we’re together, we’re home,” said Costello.
On the night of Dec. 10 Costello and her two kids weren’t home, she was at a work party in Paducah, her children were with their grandparents.
“I thought it was hail hitting my car and it wasn’t, it was debris. All I kept saying to myself was please let me hug my babies again, please let me hug my babies again. Please let me get there to hug my babies again, I need to see them,” said Costello.
Costello was able to hug her babies but their entire neighborhood was unrecognizable when they returned.
“Everybody over there where I live lost their homes, and even my neighbor's son lost his life. And it’s just one of those things that you just can’t fathom,” said Costello.
Rylen Beasley is Costello’s 11-year-old son, he’s the person that keeps his mom and his little sister Kailah in good spirits.
“I can’t explain it but everybody else was affected, not just us. Everybody else had to go look at their houses destroyed,” said Beasley.
Samantha Costello is doing everything to make this Christmas feel normal for her children, she’s gotten gifts from toy drives in Mayfield to do so.
“I think they’re going to be happy for Christmas,” said Costello.
Rylen is also the glue that is holding his family together and is known to make them laugh with his jokes.
“I just tell them everything’s OK and everything’s going to be fine because we’ve got mostly everything out and we’re trying to buy a new house so everything is going to be fine,” said Beasley.
For the Costello family the feeling of shock of seeing their town destroyed and the place they’ve called home for their entire lives never feels normal.
“Like wow, can I please wake up from this dream because it literally looked like a bomb went off,” said Costello.
After all of the destruction the Costello family says they will rebuild their lives. The Costello family hopes to buy a home in Mayfield as soon as time allows.