Claremore Family Survives Tornado In Bathtub With 2-Month-Old Daughter

A Claremore family with a 2-month-old baby is thankful they are all alive after the tornado destroyed their home.

They took shelter in the bathtub and hoped and prayed to survive.

Kristy Miller said she, her daughter and her grandbaby were all taking cover in the bathroom, covered by dog beds.

Looking at all the damage— they’re thankful to have each other.

The cleanup process is slow and steady at the Miller home in Claremore.

Friends use heavy equipment to add to a pile of debris outside.

“It looks like a complete teardown and rebuild for the home, shop, all of our fencing, almost the entirety of it needs to be touched in some way," said Ryan Miller.

Ryan and Kristy Miller can smile now, but it's taken a while to feel happy again after the tornado came through nearly two weeks ago.

"I wasn’t too panicky at first until I called him, he thought somebody was breaking into the house," said Kristy. "I was like, oh, it’s a tornado.”

Kristy, her daughter Katie, her two-month-old baby Lily, and the dogs piled into the bathtub.

“This was our safest spot here in the tub, tiny little tub, but it saved us," Kristy said.

Her husband Ryan was working in South Dakota and hit the road as fast as possible.

"Terrified," Ryan said. "All I was, was a person on the phone. There’s nothing you can do through a phone.”

He felt helpless as he thought about his family.

The home is unlivable now, with windows broken and a direct view into the sky from the bedroom.

“Just absolutely, I guess, devastated isn’t a strong enough word. This is my home, I'm supposed to be safe and it turned not safe real fast," Ryan said.

But every day, Ryan and Kristy said they find helpers.

Their community, and people pulling together, give them strength to rebuild.

"My girls are safe, my dogs are happy, I can’t ask for anything more," said Ryan.

Kristy and her family are staying in a hotel while they work to rebuild their home. If you would like to help the family CLICK HERE