Bank President Shelters Staff In Vault During Tornado

6/23/2014 (Permalink)

Posted on myfoxphilly.com

PILGER, NE- A bank vault serves as shelter during Nebraska's deadly tornadoes.

Before the tornado hit, there were still people working at the Midwest Bank in Pilger.

President Gene Willer put the eight employees in a bank safe for protection.

Unfortunately, Willer was unable to join them, as he would have to be the one to let them out.

"It locks from the outside and you can't lock it from the inside. And it had to be locked otherwise the tornado would suck the door open. I locked them in the vault and then I went down into the cellar," recalled Willer.

"I get a little emotional about this. I was prepared to die, I thought I was going to die," he began, "we're like a family and I'm the President and I take care of my family. That's all there is to it."

The National Weather Service says an EF4 tornado touched down in Pilger Monday

Damaging more than half of the town.