A mother in Elletsville, Indiana, was calmly watching a thunderstorm with her children, who needed a bit of reassurance as is. However, the sky suddenly began to turn green, and then loud sirens began to sound, prompting both mom and children to run away while screaming loudly.
The woman in question is Whitney Jewel. She is a content creator who posts lifestyle, beauty, and fashion content online. The clip attached above, which shows the thunderstorm and the subsequent freak-out, became her biggest ever. It garnered 5.7 million views, one million likes, and over 4,700 comments.
The Indiana woman, in a follow-up, provided a bit of context to an otherwise almost dialogue-free clip. She explained that her children were panicking and feeling afraid due to the thunderstorm. Therefore, she decided to bring them outside to watch it from a safe distance. That way, she could reassure them that there was nothing ot be scared of.
“At that point, we had no severe thunderstorm warning in my area. Nothing. We had a tornado watch from freaking four PM to 3:00 a.m. It doesn’t normally come my way, okay?” Whitney said.
She and her children observed the sky lighting up in purple. However, as the family stayed there, observing, Whitney began noticing the sky’s color beginning to shift. It suddently started to look green, which her daughter quickly pointed out.
A Tornado
Seconds later, a siren went off. The sound was extremely loud, as, according to the Indiana woman, it is positioned close to her home and facing directly at it. Whitney then used her mom’s stern voice and told her children, “Get inside! Get inside!” all while the youngsters screamed their lungs out.
According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, while it is anecdotal evidence, a green sky during a thunderstorm, which commonly happens during severe weather conditions, can mean that hail and other phenomena might follow. And, according to Whitney, a tornado hit the ground just 10 minutes away from her house.
She hid her children in closets as the house had no basements. Fortunately, the tornado never reached her home, she said, as it moved north. People in Gosport, Indiana, however, weren’t so lucky, as many had their homes destroyed by the tornado.
Reactions
The video sparked multiple responses online.
Many viewers reacted to the family’s reaction as soon as the sirens went off. One said, sarcastically, “Glad you stayed calm for the kids.” Another one commented, “Them saxophones were getting loud.”
Others were far more impressed and shocked by the loud siren. One asked, “Is the siren right in your yard?” Finally, some defended Whitney’s handling of the situation, with one viewer saying, “Ma’am, your tone made me want to run inside!! Your mom voice is perfect, and your kids listened!“
While some users were worried about the lack of a basement, Whitney recently confirmed that the family was moving into another home with one.
