LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Some families living in southeastern Louisville are beginning the long clean-up process after a tornado swept through on Wednesday night.

What You Need To Know

  • The Fern Creek community is thankful for no serious injuries from Wednesday’s tornado

  • Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared a local state of emergency following the severe weather

  • City officials said there have been no reports of deaths or serious injuries 

  • NWS determined the tornado that hit Tony Cambron’s neighborhood was ranked as at least an EF-1 with winds of at least 95 mph

There’s not much left of the house Tony Cambron has called home for the past three years.

“I could see the tornado looking up my basement steps, ripping through my home. People were saying like was it a tornado or was it not a tornado, whatever it was it’s the most powerful thing I’ve ever seen,” Cambron explained.

A tornado swept through his two-story home on Bohannon Station Road in the Glenmary Reserves neighborhood on Wednesday night and destroyed it.

“It sounds like a train horn blowing through your house. The wind is just so bad and I could see sticks and leaves flying through my house as I was in my basement with that door open,” Cambron said.

The 39-year-old said he hunkered down underneath the stairs in his basement with his wife and two daughters to stay safe.

He said his family nervously waited for 30 minutes until help arrived.

“I was upstairs and said, ‘Hey we should go downstairs just in case.’ It was a thunderstorm warning at the time. We weren’t halfway down the stairs when that deck hit that kitchen and the house pretty much exploded,” Cambron said.

The tornado left behind a trail of destruction that ripped off the Cambron’s roof, busted out windows, and left furniture covered in debris.

“It’s bittersweet. I’m relieved that everyone is okay, but I know the road ahead is going to be long,” Cambron said.

Amidst the rubble and havoc the tornado left behind, Cambron tried to salvage what was left of his family’s possessions.

“You don’t even know where to start. Look at this. Do I pick up my wife’s jewelry? Do I pick up my kids’ toys? Like where do I even start? I don’t even know what to do first,” Cambron said.

Just as quickly as it started, the father of two said it was over.

“Be thankful for what you have. There’s a lot of things that can go wrong in your life. But if your family is safe, at the end of the day possessions are replaceable,” Cambron said.

Stunned by the surrounding destruction, Cambron said he was lucky and thankful for the help of strangers he’s received so far.

“I have too much help right now and I don’t know really what to do with it. So, I’m just appreciative of people. There’s a lot of good in people,” Cambron said.

For now, those living in Fern Creek said they will continue to take tornado warnings and watches more seriously. 

Note: Tony Cambron is a Spectrum employee.

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