A dog named Smokey served as a beacon of hope for a family who nearly lost everything in an Alabama tornado.
The Williams family lost its home in Fultondale, Alabama, one of the areas most ravaged by the EF-3 tornado that spun through the state Monday. One person died and dozens were injured as a result of the twister, according to several reports.
Jason Williams told The Associated Press that he and his family were able to retreat to a tornado shelter Monday as the chaotic storm arrived, but they were not able to get their hefty, furry friend Smokey out as they sought shelter.
“Just as soon as we got in there, it just came down on top of us. We were trapped underneath some stuff for about 15, 20 minutes until our neighbors came, helped us get out,” Williams told a news station.
On Tuesday, after searching the debris near where their home once stood, Williams was able to grab Smokey by his fluffy gray and white coat out of the shattered wood frames and metal. The dog rose from the rubble unscathed.
“I’m just so proud that Smokey is OK. One of my daughters had some guinea pigs and the other one had a turtle, and I can’t find them. I just found part of the guinea pig cage,” he said.
The AP captured the video of Williams and other men rescuing Smokey out of the remnants of the family’s basement. After coaching and a mighty effort, Smokey can be seen prancing around the debris with joy.
“We’re a little bruised and scraped up, but other than that, God had his mighty hand on us,” Williams said of his health — and Smokey’s — post-tornado.
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