A Madison family provided shelter to a stranded neighbor during a tornado in North Alabama.
A Madison family is grateful after strangers took in their son during Tuesday's tornadoes.
Gina Delamerced said her son, 21-year-old Tristan, was driving home from visiting a friend when his car stalled about three miles from their house—just as the tornadoes began touching down nearby. She said the situation could have been much worse without the kindness of a local family. Delamerced and her husband were already in their storm shelter when they received a call from Tristan, who was unsure of what to do.
She left their home in an attempt to pick him up but quickly realized these storms were too strong to drive through. That is when she told him to leave the car and find help.
"So he's scared, and I'm like, just keep me on the phone, keep me on the phone, and you can hear when he knocked on the door," Delamerced said. "It was the first house he went to. He knocked on the door, and I heard the gentleman just say, 'get in, man, get in, get in.'"
The house belonged to Kayla Long and her family. Long said her husband didn't hesitate to bring Tristan inside.
"The guy was like, you know, 'I'm scared. Can I come in? I'm sorry,' and he's like, no, no, come on, let's get you to safety," Long said. "So we got him into the laundry room, and we kinda threw like a pillow over his head 'cause we didn't have an extra helmet."
Inside, the Longs, their children, and Tristan took shelter together and prayed as the tornado passed overhead. Long said having Tristan there brought an unexpected sense of calm in the chaos. Delamerced said she still can't believe the generosity of strangers.
"I just feel blessed, like it just I couldn't believe someone opened their door like the first person there opened their door and let him in," she said.
The Delamerceds were able to grab Tristan during a break in the storm and hope to find a way to repay the longs for what they did. They told ÐÔÊӽ紫ý 31 that this experience is a reminder of the care and compassion the world needs now. Long said they were just glad to be able to help—and said the next time you are faced with a choice like that, always do it, and help someone in need.
