By Anna Phillips | February 17, 2021 at 10:45 PM EST – Updated February 17 at 11:56 PM
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – Jim Kelly and his wife were watching television in bed on Monday night when suddenly the storm outside went quiet.
“And all of a sudden the tornado hit — and the description of like a freight train is very accurate,” he said.
For a split second, Kelly considered trying to get into a closet or bathroom of their home, but he says he knew they had no time.
“So I told my wife to get on the floor,” he said.
They both crawled to the floor by their bed and waited for the storm to subside. He took a flashlight and found the windows of their home were blown out and glass covered much of their interior.
Next, he went outside to check on his neighbors, where he immediately realized they’d been hit much worse.
“I went over there — there was no chance of me getting in that home,” he said. “My wife had called 911. We called them again and told them it was a pretty bad situation.”
Kelly says it took first responders almost three hours to get the couple out of the collapsed home next door. The man didn’t survive.
Authorities have not identified those killed in the storm. Three people were killed and at least ten were hurt.
With tears in his eyes, he said “It just calls attention to [the need to] live a day at time,” he said. “Enjoy life.”
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