Seminole teacher takes cover with family inside school vault, had to hold door shut during tornado

SEMINOLE, Okla. (KFOR) — It was like a scene out of the movie 'Twister'.

A damaging tornado went through parts of Seminole, Oklahoma on Wednesday.

While there is widespread damage, one school was hit especially hard.

The Academy of Seminole took a direct hit with people inside.

One of the teachers at the school was there with her children and husband.

They took cover in a vault located in the building.

And like a scene out of the movie 'Twister' where a man holds the storm shelter door shut during a tornado, protecting his family, it played out in real life in Seminole Wednesday night.

Tiffani Coker said once she, her family and the school's janitor got inside the vault, she couldn't get the door latched so her husband and teenage son had to hold it closed while the tornado went overhead.

"I was here with my three little boys, my husband and our janitor, Miss Donna, and when it started coming our way we got into the vault, we have a vault here and we couldn't get the vault door shut so my husband and my teenage son held the door shut while the tornado came through. It took everything they had to keep it shut, but thank God that area of the school stayed together as you can see, everything else fell apart, so it felt like a train, my little boys were screaming. It was definitely scary," said Coker.

She went on to tell KFOR she is thankful that her boys are okay.

"Honestly, I just feel thankful. I’m just thankful that my little boys are okay. I know that all of this stuff can and will be replaced. We’re going to build this school back bigger and better than ever. We have an amazing school, I talk about it all the time. I live my school and I know we’re going to rebuild it, but thank God all of our, my babies are safe," said Coker.

No injury reports are known at this time.