NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla — Imagine being inside your house as the roof is ripped off-- it was the reality for a mom and her son this week after a tornado touched down at Lake Fairway County Club.
As Fox 4’s North Fort Myers Community Correspondent, I’ve been there checking on recovery efforts, and I talked with the son about his terrifying experience.
Watch my report here:
“Five more seconds of wind and the house would have blown away,” said Matt Kelly, standing outside the destroyed home.
Kelly, his mom Liz, and their dog Lily were in the living room watching the tornado warnings roll in when they got a startling alert.
“There’s a tornado on the ground, take cover immediately. I looked at my mother, and maybe five seconds later I looked out the window and suddenly the roof was being ripped off,” said Kelly.
Kelly covered his mom and dog under the dining table, shielding them from falling rafters. His only thought? “Just hold on and wait for it to be over,” said Kelly.
Thirty seconds later, it passed. Kelly thanks their guardian angels for making it out alive. “Looking around this place you wouldn’t believe anyone could have survived being inside of here,” Kelly said.
Their home was one of many hit on Meadowland Court. Now, like their neighbors tossing debris in piles, Kelly is cleaning up and salvaging what matters most: family photos and documents. Friends and family came to help.
“I’m thankful that god spared my friend Matt, and his mom and dog. I’m thankful that we’re here in their time of need - that’s the priority,” said Matthew Middaugh. “There’s no way anybody could get through this alone, so thank god for them,” Kelly added.
