“I knew what my position was in this building. And what I needed to do. So I tried to remain calm. And get everybody where they needed to be. It was fast moving,” McKenzie told Fox 17 West Michigan<\/a>.<\/p>\n “We got back there, like, maybe a minute and a half. And then, we were back there for like five to seven minutes until everyone was like, ‘It\u2019s okay to come out,’ ” she added.<\/p>\n The outlet reported that the effects of the tornado are still visible nearly three weeks later.<\/p>\n Debris from Menards, a nearby store that was also impacted by the severe weather<\/a>, hit the Applebee’s. Inside, the wood paneling was cracked. McKenzie noted that windows blown out by the winds had already been repaired.<\/p>\n “Everything that flew off of Menards hit us,” she said.<\/p>\n Menards was significantly damaged. Store spokesperson Jeff Abbott told WWMT<\/a> that “most of our structure” was damaged in the storm.<\/p>\n \u201cFortunately, the early warning system provided notice so our employees and customers could swiftly locate to a place of safety,” Abbott added.<\/p>\n McKenzie noted that she was “thankful” that the restaurant survived relatively unscathed.<\/p>\n “It’s a brick building, I\u2019m thankful for a brick building,” she said, adding, “Your ears were popping. It was loud. Like, you would, by the sound of it think these walls weren\u2019t going to hold.”<\/p>\n
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