My hero: Virginia woman says husband's actions saved her during storm

TAPPAHANNOCK, Va. (WRIC) — Donna Richardson's husband, Paul, heard the noise first. The sound of an EF-3 tornado crashing down on their home.

"He said get in the closet. So we went in the closet, and all of a sudden I said what's that? He said that's the roof coming off the top upstairs," D. Richardson recalls. "Next, we started hearing nails popping, and then the whole bottom of the downstairs just disappeared from underneath us, and my husband jumped on top of me."

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Paul Richardson said at that time, he and his wife could feel themselves being dragged along with their home.

"We were shoved around and around and around, and all through the yard," Donna said. "All over the place. I kept seeing trees flying by me."

Donna, who suffered a broken leg and a broken hip, said she fears something much worse may have happened had her husband not been there holding her down.

"If it weren't for my husband I wouldn't be here. I'm so blessed to be here. He saved my life."