Navy SEAL's quick-thinking saves his family during tornado outbreak
In a matter of seconds, the combat medic with decades of experience was confronted with a destructive foe, one that lay waste to much of his property, leaving several "teachable moments" for others facing future natural disasters.
Best-selling author Clint Emerson is still cleaning up the mess of firearms, bullets and mementos.
In his decades of experience in military service, primarily as a Navy SEAL combat medic, Clint Emerson has been in more high-pressure situations than most. While at his north Dallas home this past week, Emerson was confronted with a new challenge befitting of his survivalist instincts: keeping himself and his family safe amid a destructive tornado.
Taking on a natural combatant instead of an enemy soldier, Emerson quickly knew that he had to take action on the morning of Dec. 13, hustling to his home's safe space along with his daughter, who was visiting from college. The Texas-bred Emerson saw rain beating down on his property "out of nowhere" that morning, escalating into one of the more than a dozen tornadoes that were confirmed by the National Weather Service office in Dallas-Fort Worth during deadly severe storms that had moved through the South.
"The rain went horizontal, like it was going to break the glass of the house," Emerson told AccuWeather National Reporter Jillian Angeline of his frantic morning. "Then, the rain started spinning, and at that point, that's when I yelled to my daughter, 'Get your shoes on.'"
The property of former Navy SEAL Clint Emerson turned into something out of a combat zone the morning of Dec. 13, 2022, as a destructive EF2 tornado moved through his neighborhood in northern Texas. (Photo via Clint Emerson)
Emerson, an author of survival tactic books such as "The Rugged Life" and "100 Deadly Skills," told Angeline that in a fast-forming crisis like a tornado, the feet are the most important human tools, requiring sturdy footwear.
"Most people, when they're lounging around their home ... they're walking around in either house slippers or barefoot, that's kind of normal for most homes I think," the retired Navy SEAL said. "One of the things I point out in all my books is, whether you're in a hotel traveling abroad, or you're at home, make sure you got shoes on. Shoes that you can either run with or fight in. When it comes to survivability in disasters ... you want to be able to move quick."
With alacrity, the SEAL Team veteran and his daughter threw on their shoes and headed to the powder room, which was centrally located and had no exterior walls. Although he pointed out that "nothing is permanent when a tornado hits," the pair was able to ride out what became one of the four EF2-strength tornadoes in the Texas metropolitan region.
Clint Emerson (right) has decades of military experience but was confronted with a new type of challenge this past week in the form of a brutal tornado. (Photo via Clint Emerson)
Emerson's first time seeing a tornado in person reinforced his theory of impermanence, as the multiple metal shops on his property were wiped away within minutes, and a house boat that was 500 yards away from his home was tossed onto his front yard.
Assigned to the elite SEAL Team Six and the National Security Agency during his military experience, Emerson said the sudden nature of the disaster was comparable to any prior mission he had undertaken. He noted that the accompanying raindrops became "like little bullets," and that the "freight train" sound of the tornado ripping through the area was no different than an explosion. Pressurization from the storm buckled his ceiling within seconds, no different than being ambushed, Emerson explained.
"[The tornado was] just as violent as any combat situation ... those winds, especially twisting and spinning ... I had no idea how violent they really were until you're sitting there, you're looking at it."
Trying to pick up the pieces from the brutal experience, Emerson told Angeline that cleanup was a "nightmare," something he will take into consideration in the future as a teachable moment for those in similar situations.
Debris was strewn across Clint Emerson yard the morning of Dec. 13, part of a destructive tornado outbreak in Texas. (Photo via Clint Emerson)
"When the sun started to creep back out, the property looked like it was covered in glitter," he said. "It was sparkling. All the sparkles were ... (gun) rounds, broken glass, mirrors." He didn't know where to begin with the cleanup process, with no real guidance on how to go about restoring his property, Emerson said.
Currently working in crisis management, he will look to use that harrowing December day to help achieve more clarity on future natural disasters, particularly during cleanup as well as putting a "ready, set, go" program in place that could be used instead of relying on a traditional watches and warnings system.
"There's always room for improvement and updating ... I'll definitely be able to take all those lessons learned and apply them in a realistic manner."
Additional reporting by AccuWeather National Reporter Jillian Angeline.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app.AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
