Congresswoman Debbie Mettler Deborah Mettler, a 76-year-old constituent of Rep. She rode out the EF-1 tornado that leveled her mobile home on June 25. The EF-2 tornado that passed through the area ripped winds of over 110 mph. It almost ripped her house perpendicular to its foundation, while the storm left a line of devastation in its path.
The event took place at Mettler’s home, where she sheltered in place during the storm. For about 15 seconds, the mobile home lifted off the ground completely before crashing down again. At first, Mettler had no idea what happened.
“It was really [akin to] a ‘Wizard of Oz’ experience,” Mettler stated, describing the chaos she endured. She vividly recalled being “thrashed from one side of the room, through the wall, to the other side.” Miraculously, she came away with no life-threatening injuries, just bruises.
Hearing her cries after the tornado had moved, a neighbor rushed to help. Lori Gill, who witnessed the incident, filmed it with her Ring camera. She courageously rescued Mettler from her devastated house.
Kathy, another neighbor, said she could not believe Mettler survived. “It’s unbelievable that she made it through,” she stated.
The tornado significantly damaged 40 to 50 single-family homes in Ranchero Village. It severely impacted 10 to 15 homes in the neighboring Bay Ranch Manufactured Home Communities. While many residents faced challenges due to storm-related damages, Mettler’s story stands out as a testament to resilience amidst adversity.
Mettler’s experience has raised a red flag and alarm bells within the nonprofit community as well. The Tampa Bay area’s local news outlet ABC affiliate WFTS-TV had some great reporting on the crash. This time, they emphasized the devastation of a house levelled and rejoiced at the wonderful survival of Deborah Mettler.
