VICTORIA, Miss. — A man says he ran for his life after he encountered a possible tornado on Tuesday. It was part of a storm system that left a trail of damage in Marshall County.
Tennail Richard was on his Marshall County property working in his shed when the powerful storm hit, according to WREG.
Four security cameras were rolling and clearly showed Richard's concern as the wind and rain moved in. He knew he had to come up with an escape plan.
"I had seconds to think about how I was going to survive this storm. I kept thinking about the lake. I can't swim, but I got to go to the lake," he said.
That's right. The body of water would end up being Richard's safe haven, but first he'd have to get there.
Video shows Richard getting into his pickup truck. Perhaps he was planning to drive to safety, but instead he took off as fast as he could and ran toward the lake. A huge tree then fell and narrowly missed him.
"I was saying to myself, 'I wasn't going to make it. You ain't gonna make it.' I could hear the voices saying it, and I made it."
Once he jumped into the lake he struggled to hold on to the other downed trees so that he could stay afloat until the storm passed. He didn't get a scratch, but his car was crushed by the same tree that nearly took him out.
Richard admits the experience left him emotionally drained, but very thankful.
