A few weeks before Christmas, a tornado wreaked havoc in the central and southern parts of the United States.

According to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, the level of devastation was unlike anything they had ever seen.

“I’m pretty sure that number (killed in Kentucky) is north of 70 … it may, in fact exceed 100 before the day is done,” she said in her interview with CNN late Saturday morning.

In Kentucky alone, the aftermath of the tornado was devastating.

A video from NPR showed the extent of the damage, and it’s heartbreaking to see everything turned into debris. You can view the full video here to see the extent of the damage from the tornados.

Strom shelters are not that common these days, but thanks to one built a decade ago, a family of eight and two dogs, were saved.

Jordan Evans invited his son, Gage, to go out of town for the weekend. While they were away, the powerful storms and tornadoes started wreaking havoc through western Kentucky.

Gage was worried about his mom, his step-dad, and the rest of the family.

Their home did not have a basement where they could take shelter, and their house was situated right in the path of the frightening storm.

There is, however, a basement located next door.

It was a prefab storm shelter installed by Justin Pointer’s father a decade ago. The family hasn’t used it until that day.

Justin Pointer, Gage’s step-dad, opened the storm shelter. The prefab shelter was 10 feet deep and 12 feet wide.

There were 8 people who went inside the shelter that day.

Justin, his wife, and their two kids, his father, his nephew, and his girlfriend, along with the family pets, took shelter in the prefab basement.

“It started shaking the lid real bad, we had to hold it down,” Justin recalled the frightening experience.

Even though the space was tight and uncomfortable, they were safe, and that’s all that mattered.

They knew the damage would have been severe, so they stayed inside the storm shelter hoping for the storm to finally stop.

It did, but after they went out, their hearts sank to see that there was nothing left. Their home and everything around them were all destroyed.

But they were alive, and that is, a miracle on its own.

According to Justin, the shelter was built ten years ago. His father couldn’t even remember how much it cost him to have it built and installed.

His father’s quick thinking paid off because this old shelter served its purpose and saved their lives.

“He said he’d pay a hundred times more for it right now,” Justin relayed his father’s words.

It was indeed a wise investment.

They even used the shelter to rest after the tornado. They didn’t have anywhere to stay, it was still raining, and it was extremely cold.

It will take a while before everyone can get back on their feet. They need help, and they need to be strong, but slowly, they can go back to normal.

Watch the full interview below and tell us what you think.

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Source: WHAS11, CNN, NPR