Kentucky firefighter Leslie Leatherman answered the call for help when a late-night tornado plowed through his Laurel County community

A violent storm system that included at least one unconfirmed tornado ripped across Kentucky, destroying homes, businesses and at least one church. 18 are confirmed dead as of Saturday afternoon.

A few storms may be possible Tuesday morning, but the main threat for strong-to-severe thunderstorms comes in the afternoon to evening hours. Damaging winds, excessive rain and isolated tornadoes are all possible. Make sure you stay weather aware and have a way to receive severe weather alerts.

The weather service predicts two waves of storm systems Tuesday, with the second having the potential for significant impact across KY.

The NWS in Jackson, KY, said the track for the tornado in Russell, Pulaski and Laurel Counties was 55.6 miles long with a maximum width of 1700 yards, which is almost one mile.

Prospective applicants should call the Department for Community-Based Services’ (DCBS) call center for D-SNAP at 1-855-306-8959.

Residents in 49 Kentucky counties are urged to find alternate ways to receive severe weather alerts through Wednesday.