Texas day care worker saves kids from tornadoes
(CBS News) FORNEY, Texas - As many as 13 tornadoes may have touched down in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Tuesday.
Texans woke up Wednesday to find widespread damage of hundreds of buildings, but surprisingly no one was killed. CBS correspondent Jeff Glor reports.
The tornado that closed in on the Kid Haven Day Care Center in Forney packed winds up to 150 mph.
"They were crying. They were afraid," said Belinda Prince, who was responsible for the lives of the 15 children, one as young as four months.
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When asked what was going through her mind, Prince said, "Oh Lord, I just can't let any of these kids die."
She said she felt she had to protect the children even if that meant risking her own life.
"I just kneeled down and had a baby in my arms," said Prince. "I shielded the baby between the floor and myself and prayed for the best."
Prince and many others survived, in part, because the tornadoes were broadcast live across the fourth largest metropolitan area in America.
Derek Deckard was at work, while his two children, 3-year-old Logan and 1-year-old Emily, were inside Kid Haven Day Care.
Deckard said it was about 45 minutes, or so, until he knew they, and all the children, were safe.
"Hell. It was very very bad," he recalled.
Deckard's kids are fine. He's shaken but extremely thankful.
"I can't believe no one was hurt. I cannot believe no one was hurt," said Deckard.
In the area, 650 homes were damaged and only 20 people injured. Most of those injuries were minor.