Mom killed in tornado, saves daughter

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WPRI) - With the Friday morning sun rising over the devastation in downtown Springfield, the stories of heartbreak and sacrifice continue to emerge.

Fabiola Guerro's mother was killed in the tornado's fury while protecting her younger sister. The mother sheltered the girl in the bathtub as the family's home crumbled around them.

"She actually said she was stuck under there for two hours. And she was saying 'Daddy, help me' and then she was like 'mom's not talking. She says before they took her out she took her glasses and saw that her ears were blue and purple," Guerro said.

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Her mother is one of the three people killed in Wednesday's tornado. Two hundred others were injured.

The storms carved up more than a dozen communities; flattening homes and forcing many people to stay in temporary shelters.

Some of the worst damage occurred in Monson, where the tornado flattened homes and even a church.

In West Springfield, Ahmed Ajil was almost crushed inside his car by his neighbor's house. He then jumped in and played the role of rescuer.

"All the kids...they were crying and the father he was yelling to get the kids out," Ajil said.

Ajil ended up saving the three young children and their father by pulling them from the rubble. They all suffered minor injuries.