A tiny kitten survived a devastating tornado in Mississippi, its persistent meows guiding a storm chaser to its rescue. Ashton Lemley, a storm chaser since 2010, was assisting in search efforts at a trailer park in Bogue Chitto, Mississippi, after a series of tornadoes flattened homes in the early hours of Wednesday. The storms, which spawned at least three tornadoes across the southern part of the state, injured a dozen people at the trailer park.
Lemley heard the faint meowing of a kitten piercing the predawn darkness but initially could not locate the source. After a few minutes, the meowing stopped, leading him to fear the worst. However, five minutes later, the sound returned. "I said, 'Oh, he's still alive!'" Lemley told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Determined to find the kitten, Lemley dug under insulation from a flattened wall until his flashlight beam revealed a wet, frightened kitten hiding between two wooden posts. He captured the emotional rescue on video, saying, "Oh my goodness, I found him! Are you OK? Come here – it's OK. … We'll get you cleaned up, baby. Don't you worry."
Lemley held the kitten in his arms for a few minutes before handing it to the commander of the United Cajun Navy, a volunteer disaster-response group, who dried it off and took it to safety. Remarkably, the kitten appeared uninjured. "I've been in these situations so many times," Lemley said. "I don't try to get overly emotional. But it is very heartbreaking to see any type of animal or human go through something like that."
Lemley noted that there is already significant interest from people wanting to adopt the kitten if its owners are not found, with some suggesting the name Tornado. However, Lemley cannot keep it himself, as he is allergic to cats.
