'It's Hitting Us': Couple Caught on Road During Deadly Gaylord Tornado Take Shelter in Carwash

A couple who were caught on the road as a deadly tornado struck Gaylord, Michigan, on May 20 took shelter in a carwash, dramatic video shows.

Officials said at least two people, both in their 70s, were killed by the storm, and 44 were injured.

The two bodies were found at Nottingham Forest mobile home park, police said. According to local media, fire officials said 95 percent of the approximately 70 homes in the park were destroyed.

After hitting the mobile home park, the tornado struck Gaylord’s main business district, damaging multiple buildings, including a Little Caesar’s restaurant and a Goodwill store.

Dawn Grubaugh recorded this video as she and her husband rushed to take shelter. Credit: Dawn Grubaugh via Storyful

Video transcript

- You guys want to get away from it.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: I don't know. It's--

- Building, coming this way.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Oh yeah, maybe we should slow down and just let it go past us. Oh, it's going to come and hit us. It's coming right now.

I don't know what to do. Oh my god. Oh, get in the-- oh god, it's hitting us! Oh my god, look at the-- oh my god!

- I'm going to go check the trunk.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Oh.

- It hit the sides.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: This, I think, flopped up, didn't it?

- [INAUDIBLE]

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Somebody else next to us?

- Yeah, they were right behind us.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: [GASP]

Oh my god! Hobby Lobby got hit!

- Yeah.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: BC Pizza OK?

- Hey, guys. You OK?

- Yeah, we're--

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Yeah, we're OK.

[AUDIO OUT]

- It came out of nowhere [AUDIO OUT].

- I almost [AUDIO OUT] metal that hit my car.

- Yeah.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: I didn't see.

- [AUDIO OUT] breaks. That thing would have came through the wind shield.

- Oh, man.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Look at Hobby Lobby.

- I mean, that's how close we were to it.

- Oh [AUDIO OUT] god.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: I actually looked-- I looked up, and I said, Ron, oh my god. There's--

- I was just going on a golf course. It's [INAUDIBLE].

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Oh my god. Look at that vehicle!

- It went through as we were pulling in.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Look at-- that truck has got the windows broke down. Oh my god, look at all of those [AUDIO OUT]. Wayne is there. His truck is damage too.

- Yeah. Man, crazy. Good thing we didn't ride the road bike.

- You guys ran over a bag of apples.

- Yeah?

- They're road apples now.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Oh.

- I'm glad you're all right, buddy.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Yeah.

- You guys saved my frickin' cookies, and I just followed you in here, man.

- Yeah, I've been here [AUDIO OUT].

- That was a smart frickin' move, dude.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Oh my god.

- She was screaming as we were flying in here, we're going to get hit. We're going to get hit.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: They're destroyed too.

- Yeah.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Oh my god. Look at. Right through town.

- My god.

- Oh.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: I just remembered looking up in the sky, and I said, Ron, there's stuff floating above us. Watch the signs.

- Hey, babe, a tornado hit. Right now, it's just [INAUDIBLE]. Yeah, I literally--

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Oh--

- --tornado.

DAWN GRUBAUGH: Oh, I'm still recording.