Alabama tornado destroys firefighter’s home with wife, sons inside: ‘God’s hand was on them’
The National Weather Service rated the Gordo tornado as an EF-2 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale with estimated peak wind speeds of 80 mph.
Alabama firefighter's home destroyed during tornado outbreak
Tuscaloosa firefighter Josh Pate was at work during the storms when a tornado tore through his house in Gordo, AL with his wife and children inside. Fortunately the family was in their tornado shelter and were unharmed. Pate spoke with FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne on Monday.
GORDO, Ala. – Firefighter Josh Pate was on duty Saturday when a tornado tore through his home, where his wife and children prayed for safe passage through the terrifying storm.
The National Weather Service rated the tornado that hit the rural western Alabama town of Gordo as an EF-2 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale with estimated peak wind speeds of 80 mph. It was part of a severe weather outbreak in which multiple tornadoes devastated areas of the Deep South.
Pate and his son were working with Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service, while their own family was in the path of the tornado.
During an interview with FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne, Pate said he had spoken to his wife right before the twister struck and when he called her back, she answered.
Pate during his interview with Byrne.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
"Luckily, they were in their safe place, and God’s hand was on them," he told Byrne.
Pate said his wife and their boys had huddled together in a closet in the center of their home as the tornado bore down on the house.
"She was there, praying them on through and just asking God to spare them, and He did," Pate said. "He always answers us when we’re faithful to Him."
The tornado tore the roof of the home, and it shredded much of the furniture and belongings inside. However, the closet where Pate’s wife and sons sought refuge was untouched.
The closet where Pate's wife and children sheltered.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
"They all come through all unscathed, and we're all here to fight another day," Pate said.
Gordo tornado survivor recalls terrifying moments
Pate's is just one of several stories of survival and recovery after the Gordo tornado.
Gordo resident Laura Lee Lann spoke with Byrne about how the first Tornado Warning prompted her and her husband to seek refuge at a friend’s storm shelter.
As that warning expired, she left the shelter to not only learn that a second Tornado Warning had been issued, but also that she found herself inside a twister while on the road.
Lann after the tornado.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
Her husband drove the car into reverse, and they were able to escape with their lives.
"We’re okay. We’re okay," Lann said. "Everything can be replaced, but we can’t."