Former Clay County Man Pleads for Help After Family Home Destroyed in London Tornado

MANCHESTER, Ky. — A former Clay County resident is seeking help after his family’s home was destroyed in the EF3 tornado that tore through London, Kentucky on May 16, leaving widespread devastation in southeastern Kentucky.

Nicholas Mays, who grew up in Manchester and now resides on Winchester Road South in London, shared a harrowing account of survival in a public Facebook post, where he also launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist his family’s recovery.

“We have nothing but our safety,” Mays wrote. “Vehicles, everything—gone. I am married and have three small children ages 8, 6, and 4. We are all safe. Please help me.”

Mays described the terrifying moments as the tornado struck, saying he was on the porch when he heard what sounded like a freight train. He recalled the feeling of “a pull you never want to feel,” before rushing to save his sleeping sons and wife, who had their youngest daughter in her arms.

“As she rounded the corner into the bathroom, the roof ripped off over our heads,” Mays said. “We fell to the ground. I bear hugged my wife Tyneal, my sons Charlie and Clifton, and daughter Violet.”

Within seconds, the walls shook, the floor buckled, and Mays said he felt himself begin to rise from the floor before the storm “let him go.”

“For a moment, I was the hero,” he said. “The screaming roar and shaking walls lasted another 30 seconds... and it was over.”

Mays' in-laws, who were sleeping in an RV with a 5-year-old niece at the time of the storm, were thrown approximately 200 feet. The RV landed on a neighbor’s deck. Although they sustained injuries, they survived.

Mays said his family is now facing the loss of everything they owned and is seeking assistance for basic needs including food, transportation, and disaster recovery expenses.

“I am broken. I am overwhelmed. We need financial support. We need love. We need everything,” he wrote. “I am humbled to pieces by any help you can give.”

To donate or follow the family's recovery, visit Nicholas Mays’ Facebook page, where a direct link to the GoFundMe campaign is available.