Moore, Oklahoma resident Elizabeth was doing what many others were doing when the catastrophic EF-5 tornado was touching down in her area – heading to shelter. But she knew she couldn’t leave her dog behind, and rushed home to make sure she would be protected.
“I was actually speeding on the highway – any cops can give me tickets, I don’t care,” Elizabeth said. “But I was actually speeding on the highway just to get home to her.”
“This is my first time ever actually seeing a tornado,” she explained. “I was scared to death.”
But her fear didn’t let her stop her from protecting her furry family member. Elizabeth grabbed Ginger and some pillows. Together, the pair hunkered down in the bathtub and braced for impact.
“The alarm went off, I ran in the house, threw my purse down, I called the dog, windows started busting through,” she explained. “The twister was just right there, I could hear it. And I said, ‘Oh no you’re not, you’re not going to get me, and I got the dog and I ran in there into the bathtub.”
The tornado lifted them up, and just as quickly, slammed them back down in their makeshift shelter. Elizabeth landed on Ginger, who whimpered, but otherwise, was remarkably uninjured. Elizabeth was slightly battered, and likely suffered a concussion.
“Risking my life for an animal, I don’t have a problem doing it, because I’m an animal person, but to people out there, whenever you have storms and stuff, make sure you have your animals with you, because they can’t take care of themselves. They need us,” Elizabeth said. “I’m just very thankful I’m alive, because I don’t think I’m crazy.”
