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LEXINGTON, Ky. (KT) — Kentucky coach Mark Pope took a break from the recruiting trail Sunday and helped clean up debris an EF-3 tornado left behind in London late Friday night.

A photograph posted on social media on Sunday morning showed Pope clearing branches from a damaged home in a London neighborhood. The deadly storm killed 19 in Kentucky on Friday night, with London being the hardest hit area by a storm that tore through parts of the Midwest and killed 28 in Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia. Seven were killed in Missouri and two in Virginia.

“I’m heartbroken over the devastation from the deadly tornadoes that ravaged our great state (Friday night),” Pope said in a social media post. “Our people have endured numerous disasters over the course of several years, but what I know about Kentuckians is this: We are resilient. We will mourn together. We believe in each other. We will stand together and rebuild together. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected.”

Former Kentucky guard and Houston Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard helped with recovery efforts on Saturday, and his friend Joshua Maxey said Sheppard didn’t waste any time returning home to help his hometown in a time of need.

“Reed knew the devastation his hometown received and wanted to do something to help,” Maxey said on social media. “He called me up to ask what he could do. I said ‘Just show up, man, I’ll pick you up in 20 minutes. If only for a minute, it’ll lift some people who lost everything… (their) spirit.’”

Maxey said he and Sheppard “worked like dogs for the best part of the day and he picked up belongings, toys, roofs, two-by-fours (wood), and everything you can imagine. We’ve seen the hurt our people were going through.”

“Yet all he’s done, like always — he was just Reed. He was one of them. Never forgetting where he came from but being a shoulder to cry on to complete strangers and comforting them with words. This is why we all love him. He is the epitome of raised right, and going above and beyond. Trust me, you’ll never find a better human being than Reed Sheppard.”

Sheppard offered his support and prayers on his Instagram account and asked for support in “any way.”

“This is where I grew up. Where I learned what hard work, heart, and grit really mean. And now, my hometown is hurting. The tornado that hit London left behind so much devastation. Families without homes, and people without basic necessities. But if there’s one thing I know about London, it’s that we don’t back down. We help each other. We rebuild. I’m asking you to keep Laurel County in your thoughts and prayers.”

While working and cleaning up on Saturday, Maxey found a Bible that was untouched by the twister on Friday night amid a field a debris.

“I found (the Bible) beneath rubble that looked as if a direct hit from the tornado had landed on (it),” he said on social media. “Not even a slither or a tear or a pin drop of water damage.”

Also on social media, Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops offered his condolences.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone across the commonwealth affected by yesterday’s horrible storms,” Stoops said in a social media post. “Our hearts especially go out to those in the Somerset and London communities. We stand with our state through this difficult time, and we thank the first responders for their hard work at rescue and recovery.”