Still Strong, Still Standing with Laurel County Firefighters

The night of May 16, 2025, changed Laurel County forever.

An EF4 tornado tore through south-central Kentucky just before midnight, cutting a devastating path across Russell, Pulaski, and Laurel counties. Homes were destroyed. Lives were lost. And in the middle of the storm, volunteer firefighters from the Laurel County Fire Department did what they had trained to do — they answered the call, even as unthinkable destruction shredded their own neighborhoods.

Fire Department Coffee brought our Rescue-1 disaster relief truck to the scene shortly after. Last fall, we shared the full story of that night, the response, the loss, and the first six months of recovery in ”Six Months Later: Standing with Laurel County After an EF4 Tornado”.

Now we’re returning our focus to Laurel County to continue that story — not just to remember what happened, but to share where the community stands today and how you can support a new collaboration to help strengthen what comes next.

Through the Fire Department Coffee Club ($2 from every bag) and Fire Department Shirt Club ($5 from every shirt), a portion of each purchase and subscription during February will support the Laurel County Fire Department, helping fund a critical infrastructure project designed to improve response, honor legacy, and serve this community for decades to come.

The Storm

In the days leading up to the tornado, Laurel County firefighters prepared as best they could. As a volunteer department, they staged at stations, checked equipment, and made sure personnel were ready to respond.

“We’d been hearing that the potential for it to be extremely dangerous was very high,” said Chantz McPeek, Chairman of the Laurel County Fire Department Board of Directors.

When the storm arrived, it arrived fast — and violent.

“Everything really started to get hairy about quarter after 11pm,” McPeek recalled. “We were hoping and praying it was going to let up before it got there. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”

Calls flooded in. Radio traffic was relentless. Firefighters moving through the area on foot found people trapped in the debris. Within minutes, it became clear this wasn’t a routine response.

“Radio traffic was just an absolute nightmare,” McPeek said. “Everywhere we went, just walking down the road, we found people trapped and stuck and needing help.”

In total, 20 lives were lost. Among them was Major Les Leatherman, a firefighter and longtime member of the Laurel County Fire Department Board of Directors.

His home was near the area where the first emergency call came in. When firefighters initially couldn’t reach him, they assumed he was busy helping. When he still never responded, they began to fear the worst.

“When we did make it to Les’s home, his home wasn’t there,” McPeek said. “Les didn’t make it.”

Even in the midst of loss, Laurel County firefighters pushed forward. They accounted for every victim. They turned fire stations into hubs of support. They showed up for neighbors who had lost everything.

In the days that followed, Fire Department Coffee brought Rescue-1 to Laurel County — standing alongside firefighters and residents, serving coffee, offering support, and helping provide a small sense of normalcy in the middle of devastation.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how much we appreciated them,” McPeek said. “I mean, it was incredible.”

Building What Comes Next

Today, recovery in Laurel County continues.

“The recovery efforts are about the same,” McPeek shared recently. “Homes being rebuilt and people getting back to the best form of ‘normal’ that they can.”

Like many volunteer fire departments across Kentucky, Laurel County continues to face challenges that existed long before the tornado.

“Our biggest ongoing challenge for the department is recruitment and retention,” McPeek said. “This was a problem prior to the tornado, and it’s a problem every department in Kentucky is facing in the volunteer fire service.”

Even so, the department remains focused on strengthening its ability to serve — not just for the next emergency, but for generations to come.

That commitment is at the heart of this February collaboration.

Funds from our Fire Department Coffee Club and Fire Department Shirt Club collaboration help establish a new fire station in Laurel County — Station 3.

Long before the tornado, the Laurel County Fire Department identified a growing need in the Sublimity City portion of its district. Major Leatherman had been instrumental in advancing that plan.

“Major Leatherman was a member of our Board of Directors for many years,” McPeek said. “He was a decision maker in the plan to pursue a Station 3.”

Land was secured in December 2024, with the planned location sitting “within 200 yards of the direct path of where the tornado went on May 16, 2025.”

The storm slowed progress and strained resources.

“Given the recent events, it put us behind financially to be able to begin this project,” McPeek said. “But we are committed to ensuring this is built in 2026, with a plan to dedicate this station to Major Les Leatherman.”

A significant donation has already covered roughly one-quarter of the project’s cost. The remaining funding is still being sought.

“This will definitely help move this forward,” McPeek added.

Laurel County Strong — Wear It and Drink It Proudly

The design featured in this month’s Coffee Club and Shirt Club reflects the strength of the department and the people of Laurel County.

At the center of the design is a thoroughbred horse — a symbol deeply tied to Kentucky’s identity. The Cub, Eagle, and Comet represent the mascots of the elementary schools impacted by the tornado. The shape enclosing the design mirrors the outline of Laurel County itself. On the firefighter’s helmet is the number 206, a quiet tribute to Major Leatherman.

Running through it all is the department’s motto: People Serving People, a phrase the community has embraced since May 2025.

The exclusive coffee for this February collaboration is a dark roast crafted with beans from Uganda and Colombia. Bold and strong, it delivers rich notes of vanilla, toasted marshmallows, and molasses — a cup built with depth and character.

This collaboration isn’t about looking back alone. It’s about standing with a department and a community that continues to move forward.

“You never really know how you’ll react until you get punched in the mouth,” McPeek said. “When that happens, you’ve got two options. You can lay down and take it, or you can get up, push through, and do what you’re trained to do.”

Laurel County stood up.

To everyone who stands with them this February: Thank you.

Thank you for remembering.

Thank you for supporting.

And thank you for being Laurel County Strong.