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Interview With Tornado Survivors
Aired May 12, 2003 - 14:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the series of storms that began May 4 extended through Mother's Day, and tornadoes marched through central Illinois, destroying and damaging homes and businesses and injuring scores of people. Eighty to 100 homes were hit in the small town of South Pekin. CNN's Gary Tuchman is on that story -- Gary, what do you know?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, as we walk around the town of South Pekin, Illinois, we're increasingly amazed that nobody was killed when the tornado came through here Saturday night. As you can see, this house completely gone. The roof just came right off it. But what's most amazing is there were two people inside this house when it happened, there is no basement. Instead, they were both inside this bathtub, a mother and a daughter, and they survived it without even an injury.
As it is, there were 27 people in this small town of South Pekin who were hurt, three of them in serious condition. Right now, we want to talk with the two people, the mother and daughter, who were inside that bathtub. This is Monica and Ashley Carrington. Ashley is 10 years old.
Monica, this must have been the most frightening thing in your life.
MONICA CARRINGTON, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Unbelievable. It was just unbelievable.
TUCHMAN: What made you decide to go in the bathtub, and tell me what it was like when you heard that tornado coming your way?
CARRINGTON: I really don't know. We have the bathtub and we have a crawl space. Normally, my husband and I would go underneath the crawl space, but instinct told me to head for the bathroom, and I threw her in, started gathering the pets at the first siren that went off. And at the second siren, I ran to get a flashlight, but I heard the tornado, knew it was too late, so I ran into the bathroom.
TUCHMAN: Now, Ashley, let me ask you, when you were in the bathtub with your mom, what was going through your mind?
ASHLEY CARRINGTON, TORNADO SURVIVOR: What's happening?
TUCHMAN: What's happening, right?
A. CARRINGTON: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Was it scary?
A. CARRINGTON; Yes.
TUCHMAN: What did you say to your mom when your house started going up all around you, and the roof came off?
A. CARRINGTON: Nothing.
TUCHMAN: Nothing?
M. CARRINGTON: She is very brave.
TUCHMAN: You are brave. What did you say -- let me ask you that, Monica? What did you say?
M. CARRINGTON: I don't really remember, but I think I was telling her to stay down, that we would be OK, and it was almost over. It just happened so quickly. She was a brave little girl. She listened to everything I did, did everything perfect. If it wasn't for her staying -- with her staying brave as she was, I don't know that we would have made it.
TUCHMAN: You are a brave mom, too. Thank you very much for talking with us.
M. CARRINGTON: Thank you.
TUCHMAN: We appreciate it. We do want to tell you that scores of homes have been damaged, but about about 30 or 40 have been completely destroyed. Back to you.
M. CARRINGTON: Gary Tuchman, pretty amazing pictures and a lot of strong families. We'll continue to check in with you. We'll continue to check in with you and see how they are doing. Thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 12, 2003 - 14:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the series of storms that began May 4 extended through Mother's Day, and tornadoes marched through central Illinois, destroying and damaging homes and businesses and injuring scores of people. Eighty to 100 homes were hit in the small town of South Pekin. CNN's Gary Tuchman is on that story -- Gary, what do you know?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, as we walk around the town of South Pekin, Illinois, we're increasingly amazed that nobody was killed when the tornado came through here Saturday night. As you can see, this house completely gone. The roof just came right off it. But what's most amazing is there were two people inside this house when it happened, there is no basement. Instead, they were both inside this bathtub, a mother and a daughter, and they survived it without even an injury.
As it is, there were 27 people in this small town of South Pekin who were hurt, three of them in serious condition. Right now, we want to talk with the two people, the mother and daughter, who were inside that bathtub. This is Monica and Ashley Carrington. Ashley is 10 years old.
Monica, this must have been the most frightening thing in your life.
MONICA CARRINGTON, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Unbelievable. It was just unbelievable.
TUCHMAN: What made you decide to go in the bathtub, and tell me what it was like when you heard that tornado coming your way?
CARRINGTON: I really don't know. We have the bathtub and we have a crawl space. Normally, my husband and I would go underneath the crawl space, but instinct told me to head for the bathroom, and I threw her in, started gathering the pets at the first siren that went off. And at the second siren, I ran to get a flashlight, but I heard the tornado, knew it was too late, so I ran into the bathroom.
TUCHMAN: Now, Ashley, let me ask you, when you were in the bathtub with your mom, what was going through your mind?
ASHLEY CARRINGTON, TORNADO SURVIVOR: What's happening?
TUCHMAN: What's happening, right?
A. CARRINGTON: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Was it scary?
A. CARRINGTON; Yes.
TUCHMAN: What did you say to your mom when your house started going up all around you, and the roof came off?
A. CARRINGTON: Nothing.
TUCHMAN: Nothing?
M. CARRINGTON: She is very brave.
TUCHMAN: You are brave. What did you say -- let me ask you that, Monica? What did you say?
M. CARRINGTON: I don't really remember, but I think I was telling her to stay down, that we would be OK, and it was almost over. It just happened so quickly. She was a brave little girl. She listened to everything I did, did everything perfect. If it wasn't for her staying -- with her staying brave as she was, I don't know that we would have made it.
TUCHMAN: You are a brave mom, too. Thank you very much for talking with us.
M. CARRINGTON: Thank you.
TUCHMAN: We appreciate it. We do want to tell you that scores of homes have been damaged, but about about 30 or 40 have been completely destroyed. Back to you.
M. CARRINGTON: Gary Tuchman, pretty amazing pictures and a lot of strong families. We'll continue to check in with you. We'll continue to check in with you and see how they are doing. Thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
