'Almost Killed Me': Tourist Group Narrowly Escapes Massive Tornado in Georgia

A tour guide and his guests narrowly avoided disaster as a massive tornado rapidly formed near them on Tuesday, June 25, in Alaverdi, Georgia.

Paul Rimple, owner of a Georgia-based travel company specializing in gastronomic culture, captured the terrifying scene after a tornado struck the monastery they were visiting in the remote village of Alaverdi, northeast of Tbilisi.

“A f***** tornado almost killed me,” Rimple told Storyful.

According to Rimple, a priest wouldn’t let them shelter in the building because one person in the group “wore shorts, which are against the dress code.”

Finally, they sought cover in the entryway as the tornado “flipped a blue car, flattened signs, and ripped the roof of the church off.” Credit: Paul Rimple via Storyful

Video transcript

I got you.

Yeah, that was, that I was, it's just enough with that not coming every time our buses and then go, first of all the one another.

What the hell it go the, I, oh, wow.

I don't see anything like that.

No, I don't see the cross on the church.

It was like, from the church.

Oh, baby.

Yeah.

When the AC is, like, what's the problem now?