Watch the video: Tornado survivors describe disaster – “I thought I was going to die!”
STORY: Cody Coombes probably won’t forget this moment anytime soon. The young man from Little Rock, Arkansas was driving on Friday when he was caught in a tornado. Part of a devastating storm system that swept through several states in the southern and midwestern United States. More than 20 dead were confirmed as of Saturday, with dozens injured. At least five people died in Arkansas alone. “I absolutely thought I was going to die when I saw how strong the wind was getting. The first thing that made me pull out my phone was when the clouds in front of me picked up some debris. Small bits of wood and bits of roof were being thrown around. There I knew it must be very close.” Jane Smith also experienced the destructive power of the tornado. The 80-year-old from Wynne, Arkansas stands stunned in front of the rubble the day after the disaster. “That was a great forest over there and now it’s gone. Just like that little house over there, we don’t know where it went. But I think that’s our roof over there.” She survived the tornado in the basement with her family and neighbors. “Here is the back of the house, fortunately a part is still standing. This is where we spent last night. No water, no gas, no electricity, but at least it was warm enough.” Lisa Worden, who teaches – or taught – at Wynne High School, also feels a mixture of shock and gratitude. Because the storm destroyed her previous classroom. Fortunately, the school administration decided to send the children home earlier that day, Worden says. “We got out at 1.30pm which was a great blessing from our superintendent because otherwise the kids would still have been on the bus and the teachers would have been here. And that would have been even more devastating.” The tornadoes also left a trail of devastation in other states, such as here in Indiana or in neighboring Illinois. Among other things, the storm tore the roof of a theater where a heavy metal concert was taking place. One person died and around 40 others were injured.