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NWS SRH �
NWS Jackson � When It Counts The
Most It was Above ground
safe room constructed inside a storage shed His safe room
was a four by eight solid concrete room with a metal door constructed within a
storage building located about fifteen yards behind his house. Once
construction was finished, it would be difficult for any outsider to even know
the safe room was there. Mr. Whitaker knew it was there. He hoped he would
never have to use it, but he felt more secure knowing it was there if he
needed it. Mr. Whitaker
knew what he had to do. It was time to take action. He woke up his wife and
directed her to the safe room. He then called his granddaughter's husband,
Randy McIntosh, who lived in a mobile home with his pregnant wife Stacy about
two hundred yards behind him. Randy initially ignored the warning until a very
loud clap of thunder changed his mind. Randy woke his wife and they got out of
their mobile home, got in their car and drove quickly to his wife�s
grandfather�s house. Upon arriving Randy and Stacy joined the other two
parties in the safe room. All four
people sat quietly in the safe room as they could hear the devastation
occurring around them. They heard the recognizable roaring sound as the
tornado ripped and tug at the building. Then, all was quiet. They exited the
safe room only to see that once again they had been struck by another strong
tornado. Trees and debris were scattered everywhere. The mobile home where
Randy and Stacy had been sleeping earlier was literally gone. They were so
happy they had heeded Mr. Whitaker�s warning to come and get into the safe
room. All four of the occupants emerged with out a scratch on them. The Mobile home
used to sit here. Because of
Mr. Whitaker�s efforts, his granddaughter, her husband and their unborn
child are alive today. It just goes to show you we are never going to be able
to stop the severe weather in Mississippi, but there are steps residents can
take that will help them survive.
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