Greens have basement to thank for their lives

As a member of North Warren Fire Department, he was well aware of the possible danger. He was also aware his wife, Amy, and his two children, Ethan, 8, and Emily, almost 4, would soon arrive at the couple?s home on East Green Hill Road in the Midway community.

His first thought was to warn them to seek cover.

?I got off work at 4:30 at Kingston in Smithville,? Dowie said in an interview Monday afternoon. ?When I turned off Highway 56 on East Green Hill Road, it was probably about 10 minute to five. I saw the funnel come down back on the West Green Hill side, I assume at Foster Road. I continued on home and tried to call my wife on my cellphone, but I couldn?t get ahold of her.

?She finally rung me back, they had just got in. She was watching TV and the kids were playing, so I told her to get in the basement and leave the door unlocked, because I was going to pull in the carport and come in.?

Once he had contacted his family, Dowie immediately turned his attention to his other function as a volunteer fireman.

?I radioed dispatch and told them I had a visual of a funnel cloud on the ground,? Dowie said.

Dowie?s training and knowledge no doubt helped save his family, since he had discussed what the family should do in an emergency of this type.

?I got in and we got in the basement, positioned like we?d planned,? Dowie said. ?And probably 30 seconds after we got in the corner where we were going it hit.?

Dowie said it was amazing how quickly the storm came and left.

?As soon as it hit, I knew it was gone,? Dowie said. ?I went out and you couldn?t see it anywhere. No evidence anywhere of a funnel cloud. I radioed back to dispatch and let them know my house had taken a direct hit.?

Miraculously no one in his family was hurt.

?We didn?t have a scratch on us,? Dowie said. ?The house took the brunt of the storm. The Lord watched over us.?

Dowie talked about how the North Warren Fire Department takes care of its own, even amidst all the other clean-up and responsibilities the group was dealing with in the aftermath of the storms in the Green Hill area.

?We were staying at my mom and dad?s, Dowie said. ?We had to go to town to take care of insurance issues. Then as we were going to the house we saw these North Warren trucks sitting out there and the other volunteer firemen out in the field picking up debris and bringing it up next to the roadside. I had no idea they would be there.

?Those guys, they?re great,? Dowie said. ?All the guys were out there. They were on they?re days off, nobody asked them to do it, they just got together and did it.?

Dowie said he really appreciates the effort and the way the community in general has come together to help.

?It?s outstanding,? he said. ?You usually hear about all the bad things in a community, but this is totally opposite to that concept. There?s been such an outpouring of love and compassion. There?s so many people that?s stopped by and wanted to help. The Red Cross has been great, bringing by meals for the workers. We?ve had offers of a place to stay. It?s been great.?