Eastern Kentucky University’s Aviation program flew two EKU planes to London, Kentucky on May 29 with supplies from a donation drive for residents who were affected by the tornadoes that devastated the areas earlier this month.
Two weeks earlier, on May 16, a deadly EF4 tornado hit Laurel and Pulaski counties. The tornado had winds up to 170 miles per hour, killing 19 in the state, destroying homes and leaving many residents displaced. In the tornado’s path was the London-Corbin Airport. The facility was extremely damaged, with multiple aircraft damaged, and the local medical helicopter destroyed.
Shortly after the tornadoes hit the area, EKU Aviation set up their donation drive and were taking donations for around two weeks. They gathered a variety of supplies, including dog food, diapers, cleaning supplies, water, clothing items and more.
“Anything we can do to help out with Eastern Kentucky, we’re happy to do it,” Satchel Tatum, EKU Aviation flight instructor and pilot of one of the planes, said. “The pilot community is really small, everybody kind of knows each other. When they get hit, it’s like family going through it.”
Ben Buttery, EKU Aviation instructor and pilot, is from the areas impacted by the tornadoes.
“We’re trying to show London that EKU, and EKU Aviation specifically, has their back,” Buttery said. “A lot of people lost a lot of things and you feel for them. It hit close to home, that’s originally where I’m from, so I know their pain.”
Tatum and Buttery loaded the planes with the supplies and took off at 2:30 p.m. to deliver the donations to the London-Corbin Airport.
For more information on disaster relief donations or volunteer work, call the City of London Operations at (606) 231-0518.