Storm Chaser Ashton Lemley Rescues Kitten From Bogue Chitto Tornado Rubble

Storm chaser Ashton Lemley heard the unmistakable meow of a kitten in the predawn darkness as he picked his way through a tornado-ravaged Mississippi trailer park in Bogue Chitto.

“A faint meow in the rubble of a Mississippi tornado leads to a stunning rescue A faint meow in the rubble of a Mississippi tornado leads to a stunning rescue As storm chaser Ashton Lemley picked his way through a tornado-ravaged Mississippi trailer park, he heard the unmistakable meow of a kitten pierce the predawn darkness”

Associated Press

The storms spawned at least three tornadoes across the bottom half of Mississippi, injuring a dozen people at the trailer park, and the homes were flattened just hours earlier.

Associated Press

Lemley dug under insulation from a flattened wall until his flashlight beam found the kitten wet, scared, and hiding between two wooden posts.

Lemley told The Associated Press on Thursday, “I said, ‘Oh, he’s still alive!’” as he realized the kitten was alive.

After the meowing stopped and then returned five minutes later, Lemley feared the worst before locating the kitten.

He captured the moment on video, saying to the camera, “Oh my goodness, I found him!” and then asking, “Are you OK? Come here – it’s OK.”

Univision

Lemley held the kitten in his arms for a few minutes before handing it off to the commander of the United Cajun Navy, a volunteer disaster-response group.

The commander dried the kitten off and took it to safety, and Lemley marveled that it didn’t appear to be injured.

Lemley said there is already a lot of interest from people who want to adopt the kitten if its owners are not located.

“Storm chaser Ashton Lemley pushed through a tornado-ravaged Mississippi trailer park when he heard the unmistakable meow of a kitten breaking through the pre-dawn darkness”

Univision

He added that some people want to name the kitten Tornado, tying the rescue story to the storm that caused the rubble.

Lemley said he has been chasing storms since 2010 and described how he tries not to get overly emotional in the aftermath of destruction.

He also said he will not be able to take the kitten home because he is allergic to cats.