The tornadoes that ripped through Arkansas, Oklahoma and Iowa have killed at least 17 people. But miraculously, some individuals in harm's way survived.
(ABOVE: Photos from the Deadly Severe Weather Outbreak)
In Mayflower, Arkansas, Becky Naylor, 57, rushed her family to their storm cellar as tornado debris fell nearby, she told The Associated Press.
Naylor crammed more than 20 people in the cellar, including random individuals who pulled off the highway. Some of the survivors held shut the cellar doors, as the tornado tried to rip them off.
Also in Mayflower, Kay and George McKneely managed to survive a similar predicament with a devastating tornado rapidly approaching.
“I was scared,” Kay told Arkansas Online. “We got the red-alert warning and had 12 minutes from the time we got the warning until the storm hit.”
The husband and wife hid in their closet as the tornado ripped away the backside of their home. The north side was somehow left untouched.
Other Mayflower residents were also lucky to escape the destructive tornadoes.
Johnnie Gibson — Kay McKneely’s mother — had her house completely destroyed. But the 94-year-old, who is wheelchair-bound, survived without any injuries.
Mark Ausbrooks, another Mayflower citizen, described his situation to The Associated Press.
(MORE: How You Can Help)
The tornadoes spread beyond Mayflower, as other Arkansans hid for safety.
In Violonia, Arkansas, Karla Stracener and her family were able to escape without serious injury, even though the tornado had destroyed their home, according to The New York Daily News.
http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-central/survivors-recall-escaping-deadly-tornadoes-arkansas-kansas-20140428
No comments:
Post a Comment