KALAMAZOO, Mich. — An EF-2 tornado ripped through Three Rivers earlier this month, but a local Applebee's manager helped 50 customers and staff avoid the worst of the storm.
Aubrey McKenzie, the bar and service manager at the Three Rivers Applebee's, helped 50 people shelter inside the restaurant's kitchen when the tornado hit on March 6. No one who took shelter inside the kitchen was hurt.
"I knew what my position was in this building. And what I needed to do. So I tried to remain calm. And get everybody where they needed to be. It was fast moving," McKenzie said.
Without missing a beat, McKenzie went from dinner service to serving her community, helping customers get where they needed to be to try to stay safe.
"We got back there, like, maybe a minute and a half. And then, we were back there for like 5-7 minutes until everyone was like, 'It’s okay to come out,'" McKenzie said.
Our crew captured video just after the tornado hit near the Applebee's the day of the storm. Three weeks later, signs of damage are still visible from the restaurant's parking lot, including missing letters on the nearby Menards, a busted-up car, and tarps on a roof.
Debris from Menards hit the Applebee's, leaving hard-to-spot damage like cracks in the wood paneling. The blown out windows, according to Aubrey, have since been repaired.
"Everything that flew off of Menards hit us," McKenzie said.
"I’m thankful the building did stand up. It's a brick building, I’m thankful for a brick building," McKenzie said.
"Your ears were popping. It was loud. Like, you would, by the sound of it think these walls weren’t going to hold," McKenzie said.
But the walls did hold. Despite being scared of storms her whole life, McKenzie faced her fear head-on.
"I was surprised I was able to get everybody. And be that organized, in that short amount of time," McKenzie said.
"I’ve been called a hero a lot lately, and I like laugh it off. I don’t know. I just felt like I did what I was supposed to do," McKenzie said.
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