Kentucky Man Displaced Twice as TORNADO Demolishes Home – “We’re Not Going Back Here”

Devin Johnson was displaced for the second time after a tornado demolished his home in Barnsley, Kentucky, over Memorial Day weekend, according to the Associated Press and NBC News.

Johnson, 21, and his fiancée, Haley Loukota, became homeless in 2021 after a storm damaged their home on the same lot of property.

“We never imagined it would happen again,” Johnson told the AP. “All we know for sure is we’re not going back here,” he said. “It’s going to have so many memories of us losing everything.”

Johnson’s old home was destroyed by a tornado outbreak in December 2021 that killed 81 people in Kentucky. During the December 2021 tragedy, the Johnson family stayed in their trailer as the storm went through.

“You started hearing a roar and then the entire house started shaking,” Devin told the Associated Press. “The power started flickering, and the windows shattered.” And then all of a sudden you feel the wind, pressure, and this roar ripping through the home, tugging on you and attempting to drag you out.” The family was unharmed and were able to save some family heirlooms. They soon moved into a larger trailer and saved enough money to furnish the new home. However, after the latest storm, their goods were thrown around the neighborhood.

The Johnson family was insured both times. On Sunday, they sought shelter from the storm at a relative’s home in Madisonville, Kentucky. Despite being safe from the eye of the storm, the Johnsons “all had that feeling that [they] just lost everything again.” Devin claimed that when he arrived at his family’s property, “there was just nothing.”

“This time, everything we have is gone,” Devin stated, however, he did mention that they rediscovered his engagement ring, which had belonged to his girlfriend’s grandmother. “Right now, we don’t have money,” Johnson told the Associated Press. “So we’re just trying to figure out how to go next.” He added that he and Loukota had been saving money since the 2021 storm in the hopes of obtaining their own home, which he would want to find near Madisonville. However, he stated that he and Loukota will most likely be living with his grandparents in the interim.

“It’s just been so tight since then with all the bills we had to go through,” he stated.

“We know the power that they’re capable of and how easily they can just take your life,” he said, adding that he hopes to find a home with a basement to keep safe from future storms. The current storm was one of several strong storms that slammed western Kentucky over the weekend. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued an emergency declaration on Sunday, May 26.

According to NBC News, as of Tuesday, May 28, at least 24 people had perished as a result of the terrible storms.