An Alabama man and his daughter escaped death after deciding to take refuge in one of the man's friend's basement. Minutes after Tim Striegel and his daughter left their trailer, an incoming EF-1 tornado destroyed their mobile home.
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On Sunday, March 16, Striegel how he and his daughter narrowly escaped death. The severe storm hit seven South and Midwest states and killed 36 people in total, as per PEOPLE. It hit Calera, Alabama, on Friday, March 14. At the time, Striegel and his 31-year-old daughter were debating whether they should stay put or evacuate.
"I called a really good friend of mine, and he says, 'No, you're not staying. Get up to my house and get in the basement,'" Striegel told Fox Weather. "A few minutes after we left and got up there, [and] it hit... It just destroyed."
Striegel's mobile home was one of the homes destroyed by the tornado. Striegel, his daughter, and their pets were rescued from the rubble. They were left devastated after seeing their destroyed home.
"It's overwhelming," Striegel told AL.com. "I'm trying to keep up with what they're saving and what they're throwing away. It's just hectic. The hardest part is trying to make sure me and my daughter have a place to stay."
Despite their incredible material loss, knowing that they are safe helps Tim Striegel cope with their current situation.
Family Spends The Night In Jail
Hours after they were initially rescued from the rubble after taking refuge in a friend's basement, an officer found Striegel, his daughter, and their pets stranded. They had nowhere to go. Calera Police Chief David Hyche spoke with several outlets about the process of finding the Striegel family somewhere they can spend the night.
"We started making calls, trying to find a place for them to shelter; they were exhausted and hungry," Hyche told CBS 42.
Unfortunately, they struggled to find a place that could house them. "We called the Red Cross and everyone else we could think of but no one could help on such short notice," Hyche told the Shelby County Reporter. "The Red Cross said that they could provide assistance the following day. Next, we called dozens of hotels but no rooms were available."
With no options left, the police decided to make room at one of their jails so that Tim Striegel, his daughter, and their two pets could have a place to sleep.
"It was a sad situation, I think that's the first time we've ever had a cat and a dog in our jail, but they behaved," Hyche told CBS 42. "I hope that we can learn from this and come up with a better alternative for people in this situation in the future," he told the Shelby County Reporter.
