‘It was very scary’: Madison tennis team finds unlikely shelter during storm

MADISON, S.D. (KELO) — Shelter from intense climate is about timing and site. A neighborhood tennis group on its approach again from competitors on Might 12 ultimately discovered each of their favor in a singular approach.

“I used to be simply scared. I’d by no means skilled something prefer it earlier than. It was very scary,” Madison boys tennis participant Mason Kennington stated.

The Madison boys tennis group’s return from Watertown collided with heavy climate.

“We type of thought we had sufficient time. We acquired out of Watertown early which was good, and so we figured we’d make it and perhaps have to remain within the college with the youngsters. My spouse had known as me and stated that they have been taking place to the basement and that we should always get off the highway,” he stated.

This was the view out of the bus windshield on Freeway 81 north of Madison.

“We simply seemed up on the sky and we noticed type of an enormous black line fairly excessive up within the sky and thought, ‘effectively, that type of appears to be like completely different.’ After which a short time later, we noticed it approaching the bottom and it was simply this huge wall of black cloud. That’s when type of knew that this wasn’t a standard storm that we have been driving into,” Bundy stated.

Matt Phelps was planting close to his dad or mum’s farm and noticed the storm rolling in. He was operating into their home when he noticed the bus on the freeway.

“I waved them on and went to the home, and I opened up the doorways, the basement door, flipped the lights, pointed the place it was, and by that point they have been on the finish of the sidewalk. All of them began heading down into the basement,” Phelps stated.

Because the storm was approaching, the bus got here down the driveway. They have been within the basement for lower than two minutes earlier than it hit. The timing was excellent.

“We have been going to cease for dinner earlier than and our coach determined to not cease for dinner, and I’m comfortable he did that as a result of we’d have been so much farther out and it may have been so much worse,” Kennington stated.

Marv Rhode, who has been driving buses for greater than 35 years, was behind the wheel.

“I used to be watching the highway ditches to see if there was any deep ones that we may in all probability get into. Get off the bus, get within the ditch, and lay down,” he stated.

Proper place, proper time and first time for him.

“That is the primary time this has ever occurred to me in all of the years I’ve been driving. I really feel nice that everyone is okay,” Rhode stated.

There have been 19 gamers on the bus together with the coach in addition to the bus driver. One other passerby took shelter within the basement, too.

Phelps stated the climate station close to the farm clocked the wind at 111 miles per hour.