A few years back, I had a phone interview with a family friend about his experience of a tornado that tore his world apart. His name is Ronnie and he gave me permission to write about his story in order to help others who may possibly be in a tornado. I know it is winter and right now we have a couple of inches of snow, sleet, and ice, but this is the middle of February and tornado season isn’t too far away.
He told me he woke in the middle of the night to a roaring sound like the famous train. He jumped so fast out of bed and yelled at his wife and kids to follow him downstairs. His wife was about 5 months pregnant and their little girl was about 5. He said he reached for the basement door to open and in an instant he was being swirled around in the air with bricks, boards, and things he had no control over hitting him.
There was nothing he could do to stop it and all he could do was brace himself for the next object to break his body. He said it seemed like forever and then suddenly he was tossed out into the field some 150 or so feet away from the house. I am trying to recall the footage but think that is what he told me. I went through my stories I posted on another site and that site has since been removed. I saved it on a disc but unfortunately it is not compatible with my computer. Therefore, I hope I am able to at least give you the gist of it.
He said he did not realize what was happening after a while since he was knocked unconscious. After the tornado passed and it was calm, the neighbors helped the wife and little girl and they searched for Ronnie until they found him. Luckily he was still alive but when we went to the hospital to see him, every – I mean EVERY – part of his body was in a cast except for his eyes. He had so many broken bones, severed body parts, and insides torn that you could not count them all. His recovery was intense and long, but he is a survivor.
His wife and child was about to leave the bedroom after she scooped her up and the tornado literally rolled her and the child up into a rug. There was a car from the back unattached garage that landed upside down about 10 feet from them. Nothing was left of the house literally. She and the little girl was rolled up yet exposed to the world and their basement was gone.
I remember going over to help and as we drove, we stopped to help clear limbs and things from other friend’s homes. We pulled up Ronnie’s driveway and our hearts sunk. What remained of his house was strewn all over and what remained was the center of the basement where the furnace was and the concrete foundation. Right beside the foundation on one side was a small flower patch that was not touched. There was no debris in it like there was no disturbance at all.
We had a cousin who was sitting in his living room that night when it hit. He lived in the same path of that tornado. I am not too sure about his story 100% so will only tell you that he was unharmed and the only thing left in that room was his Bible on the mantel. In a different tornado that we watched go across the other side of the knobs and take a pathway away from us, there was a lady in Henryville, IN who saved her children by laying over them but had her leg severed.
God says we are not promised tomorrow or even the next breath we take really. We never know when it is our time to go. But we must prepare both spiritually and physically for when it is our time. Getting right with The Lord is a top priority. Praying, reading His Word, going to service and doing what He commanded us by receiving His remembrance bread and juice are ways to prepare us and have faith.
When it comes to tornadoes and disasters, it is good to always be prepared as well. Have a plan with your family, keep weather updates on your phones, have a weather radio nearby, keep supplies available in a secure location where you set for emergencies. Study what to do if there is a tornado and such. Most will tell you to go to the basement in a centrally located area or closet. I saw first hand the truth in this. Get into something sturdy like the bathtub if you do not have a basement. Throw a mattress over you to protect you from debris.
They say if you are outside driving, try to find an overpass to be under. If you are walking about, find a ditch so that the deadly swirling will prayerfully pass over you. Just please keep informed on what to do and have a set plan of action for you and your family. These people are lucky to be alive but had to endure a lot to survive. This is the time to prepare and please do not wait until tornado season is upon you.