But inside the home of Judy Nicholson, director of United Way of Laurel County, the atmosphere is one of warmth- filled with human compassion, and the drive that keeps Nicholson humble as she continues to assist those who lost everything in the EF-4 tornado that took the lives of 18 people and destroyed homes and properties of hundreds more.
The ringing of her phone distracts Nicholson from her usual routines, but she gladly abandons her own needs to offer assistance and reassurance to others- even seven months after the devastation.
" I have some people who just call to check in and let me know how they ' re doing," Nicholson said. " And there are some who are still having trouble with their insurance and other assistance."
Nicholson was one of the lucky ones whose home and life was spared damage from the tornado although it struck homes and properties just a few hundred yards away.
" I could see it coming," she said. " I saw a lightning bolt come down out of the sky to the ground right by Corinth Church and I thought, " It ' s hit the church and it ' s the end of the world." You don ' t normally see lightning like that. It lit up the whole neighborhood and it came from the sky to the ground." Just behind Nicholson ' s home is a fence that borders the London-Corbin Airport property where the tornado struck an airplane before tearing through the airport and destroying
It was early the next morning when Laurel County Judge Executive David Westerfield reached out to Nicholson about establishing a disaster relief center and just a few hours later, she headed to the former Food Fair store on Main Street.
" I told David we ' d need tables and chairs and we had people start setting up that day. We opened up on Monday to assist people with food and supplies they needed," she said.
As it had in 2012 after a tornado hit Hawk Creek and East Bernstadt, the Laurel community immediately responded, bringing in needed supplies and volunteers to assist. Nicholson, as director of the United Way, was a key factor in that relief effort, setting up a disaster center in East Bernstadt to help those affected in the aftermath that left six people dead, dozens injured and damage to homes and properties.
" That was the first tornado I helped with so I knew what to do when this one hit," she said. " This time it was an older group of people. It was so hard to see good people who had worked all their lives and many of them were enjoying retirement and doing what they always wanted to do. Then they went to bed one night and woke up with nothing."
Nicholson readily admits that she couldn ' t hold back her emotions as she assisted those affected.
" I cried with them. I couldn ' t help it," she said.
Judy Nicholson helps a tornado survivor. Photo by Willie Sawyers
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Pictured at left: Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear greets United Way Director Judy Nicholson at the Disaster Relief Center following the deadly tornado last spring.
Photos courtesy of Laurel County Fiscal Court
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