A routine day in the office turned into a heroic effort for one brave Applebee's employee.
Videos by Wide Open Country
When a massive tornado ripped through Three Rivers, Mich., on March 6, Aubrey McKenzie, who manages a local Applebee's, led 50 customers and staff to the restaurant's kitchen seeking shelter.
"I knew what my position was in this building. And what I needed to do. So I tried to remain calm. And get everybody where they needed to be. It was fast-moving," McKenzie told Fox 17 West Michigan.
McKenzie noted that she and the restaurant's diners and staff remained in the kitchen for "five to seven minutes" while the storm passed over.
According to the National Weather Service, the EF-2 tornado topped out at 130 miles per hour winds.
Thankfully, the structural damage was minimal, and the building stood firm during the tornado.
"It's a brick building, I'm thankful for a brick building," said McKenzie. "Your ears were popping. It was loud. Like, you would, by the sound of it, think these walls weren't going to hold."
Multiple Tornadoes Cycled Through Michigan in March
The EF-2 tornado that ravaged Three Rivers was the fourth tornado that ravaged Michigan that day. The National Weather Service detailed on March 7 how the cluster of storms formed throughout Lower Michigan.
"NWS storm damage surveys from NWS Northern Indiana and NWS Grand Rapids found that a parent supercell spawned 4 tornadoes across Lower Michigan, ranging from EF-0 to EF-3 intensity. There were numerous reports called in to our office and videos posted on social media by storm chasers, broadcast media, trained spotters, and the public confirming tornado damage in Edwardsburg, Three Rivers, and Union City."
There were no fatalities reported in Three Rivers, but 10 people were injured as a result of the storm.
The figure could have been far greater if not for McKenzie's quick thinking.
"I've been called a hero a lot lately, and I like to laugh it off. I don't know. I just felt like I did what I was supposed to do," she said.
