Mother and kids caught in car during 'freak tornado'
A mother and her two toddlers were caught by surprise in their car when a tornado hit northwest Georgia.
Kristen Anderson WTVC: "I didn't know what else to do. I was gripping the steering wheel and screaming because I was freaking out so bad."
Kristen Anderson was about to leave her parents' house and hadn't even pulled out of the driveway when the tornado touched down.
The tornado was reported as an EF1, which means tornado-wise, it was relatively weak, reaching between 86 and 110 mph.
Residents say it lasted 30 seconds, but as you can see, that was enough time to cause damage. WAGA called it a "freak tornado" that came "out of nowhere."
Trees were twisted and snapped, and there was a 20-foot hole left on a side of a house.
Anderson and her two children survived without any injuries -- and this isn't the first tornado the area has encountered.
WSB-TV: "In 2011, an EF4 tornado damaged at least 100 homes and two schools."
On average, the current lead time for tornadoes is only 13 minutes, which doesn't leave much time to figure out a plan of action.
CNN advises never to think a tornado can't happen in your neighborhood.
In the event of a tornado, your car is one of the worst places to be, which makes Anderson's story even more remarkable.
CNN: "Tornado strength winds can pick up a 1 to 2-ton vehicle like this one and toss it around like you or I would a basketball."
About eight homes were damaged in this recent storm, but nobody was injured.
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