He spent his life protecting the community and in the end, he did the same thing,” Kentucky fire chief says about Major Roger Leslie Leatherman, who was found atop his wife during Friday’s tornado.

Fire officials say a first responder was found on top of his wife, shielding her from the tornado, and he may have even known it was her.

Major Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran of the Laurel County Fire Department, was tragically killed while responding to a fire alarm when the tornado touched down.

Did alerts go out? What type of alerts did people receive? National Weather Service and others have said the Jackson office was staffed Friday night despite staffing shortages.

The family's home was picked up and thrown across the street when a tornado ripped through the area, destroying everything they own.

A family in London is recovering after losing their home of nearly five decades on Airview Drive after Friday's tornado. "When it hit it really surprised me," Daniel Henderson said. Henderson and his wife were in their basement when the tornado hit, saying they walked out of the basement around 1:15 Saturday morning.

A reported tornado claimed lives in Laurel County, causing destruction and displacing many. Shelters are open and efforts are underway to help those affected.

The rescue team was activated in the middle of the night and deployed to Laurel County as quickly as they could.

Flags at the Laurel County Fire Department are flying at half-staff in memory of Major Leslie Leatherman, who began as a volunteer at the department over 30 years ago.

Major Roger Leslie Leatherman of the Laurel County Fire Department in Kentucky died in the line of duty while responding to a recent tornado just shy of his 39-year anniversary with the department.