LAUREL COUNTY, KY. (LEX 18) — Months after a devastating tornado tore through Laurel County in May, the London Corbin Airport is returning to normalcy with a renewed sense of community and improved infrastructure.
The tornado left a path of destruction across the airport, destroying 21 aircraft, decimating eight hangars, and scattering debris across the taxiway. For flight instructor Michael Carroll, the news came at the worst possible time.
"Seeing it on live streams that a tornado was ripping through town. It was pretty, pretty gut wrenching," Carroll said.
Carroll was enjoying his honeymoon when he received the devastating call about the airport's condition. Like many others in the community, he cut his trip short and rushed back to help with cleanup efforts.
Airport Manager Matt Singer witnessed an outpouring of community support that surprised even him.
"There's people just showed up and helped started just, you didn't even tell them where to go to start clean up. That was the craziest thing to me," Singer said.
The cleanup effort proved to be a massive undertaking, but the community response was swift and effective.
"It was just, it was such a big operational task to clean," Singer said.
Despite the extensive damage, the airport reopened for aircraft operations within days of the disaster.
"By Wednesday it was cleaned up enough that we could open for aircraft," Singer said.
More than four months later, the airport is almost fully operational. The initial shock of the destruction has given way to a sense of opportunity and renewal.
"That first initial shock, it's like, oh my gosh, I don't even know where to start. And then, you know, it kind of sinks in. It's like, wait, we gotta get this done," Singer said.
The storm's destruction has presented the airport with an unexpected opportunity to redesign its layout and improve operational efficiency.
"It's kind of giving us a magic eraser. You know, it's bad to say, but at the same time it's an opportunity," Singer said.
The airport plans to widen the taxiways leading up to its hangars to accommodate larger aircraft, thereby improving functionality for years to come.
For Carroll, the rebuilding process has been inspiring.
"It gives you hope for the future," Carroll said.
The disaster brought the community together in ways that surprised many residents and airport workers.
"It was just amazing to see, because you hear about all the division in this country currently, and then something like this has to happen to bring everybody together. But then when they come together, just what could be accomplished," Singer said.
