‘We’re in a tornado, y’all.’ NC woman captures funnel cloud on video during dinner run
A North Carolina woman out buying hot dogs decided to try catching a tornado on video Thursday.
The end result includes some scary moments — and a bit of prayer.
Maryann Kuykendall Tucker of Burlington did indeed find a funnel cloud in the squall line that crossed the state, but the National Weather Service has yet to declare it an official tornado. Burlington is about 60 miles northwest of Raleigh.
A folksy and frantic Tucker broadcast the moment via Facebook Live, telling viewers: “Hey my friends, y’all, we getting ready to ride into a tornado ... Let’s roll the window down and see what we can see.”
With her husband, Travis Tucker, driving and a box of hot dogs on the floorboard, she is seen cruising down Burlington’s Church Street with her window open.
The sky grows darker, rain pours and winds become deafening, video shows. Then, Maryann Kuykendall Tucker sees something about 150 yards away — behind a Sonic Drive-in — that is tall, dark and spinning.
“Oh, crap. ... Look at that, y’all. Holy cow, there it is right there. That’s a tornado,” she is heard yelling. “I’ve never seen one in my life. Holy cow, we’re in a tornado, y’all.”
Torrential wind and rain soon force Maryann Kuykendall Tucker to roll up her window. Then debris starts flying, changing her mood.
“Oh, God, what was that? Something just hit my car. Oh God, Jesus, help us,” she says in the video. “I am officially in a tornado. This is amazing. Please forgive me for acting like a moron, cause y’all know it’s me.”
The couple speed toward their home, about a block away, as the wind and rain begin to ease. Maryann Kuykendall Tucker notes she is also pleasantly surprised to see the house still has its roof, and power is still on in the neighborhood.
Burlington was under a severe thunderstorm and tornado warning at the time, according to the National Weather Service. Officials in the area have not reported a tornado touched down, but the city of Burlington posted on Facebook that firefighters did get calls during the storm.
The same squall line is credited with generating at least 25 suspected tornadoes in six states, “from Oklahoma to Alabama,” ABC News reported.
Tucker says in the 7-minute video that it’s possible her big moment might be downgraded to a funnel cloud or “little whirly whirl.”
“But I think it was a tornado. We’ll see what happens,” she says.
This story was originally published March 19, 2021 at 7:56 AM with the headline "‘We’re in a tornado, y’all.’ NC woman captures funnel cloud on video during dinner run."