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Tornado survivor who saved people in walk-in freezer wins Fox Nation award

Restaurant owner Tracy Harden saved nine employees and customers from an EF-4 tornado that leveled the Mississippi town of Rolling Fork.

By Angeli Gabriel , Hillary Andrews , Katie Byrne Source FOX Weather

Rolling Fork, MS restaurant owner saves lives during EF-4 tornado

Tracy Harden, owner of Chuck's Dairy Bar, recounts the moments when employees sheltered in a cooler during a massive tornado in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. 

Tracy Harden, a business owner whose quick-thinking and heroism saved nine people from an EF-4 tornado in the spring, received the first FOX Nation Weather Award for Courage.

On March 24, Harden and her husband Tim were with employees and customers at their business, Chuck’s Dairy Bar, when they heard news of a tornado hitting their town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi.

"One of my cashiers came to me running and said, ‘My mom is on the phone, and she said, there's a tornado,'" Hardin said to FOX Weather correspondent Katie Byrne. "And at that moment, the lights flickered, and I just hollered, ‘Cooler!’"

Hardin being interviewed by FOX Weather correspondent Katie Byrne on March 26, 2023. (Katie Byrne / FOX Weather)

Hardin and her husband rushed to gather their employees and customers into their walk-in metal freezer. Just as Tim was about to close the freezer door, Hardin said he noticed the restaurant roof was already gone.

The group huddled together in the freezer, screaming, praying and crying, Hardin said. They heard the building moving, and suddenly, it stopped, letting them know that the tornado had passed.

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At first, they struggled to open the freezer door, as debris had fallen and blocked it. A customer from earlier in the day came to assist the group upon hearing their screams as he struggled with a broken arm.

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Crews work to clear the land under a giant American flag that flies on a crane in the midst of destruction wrought by a massive tornado that laid waste to much of the town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 28, 2023. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

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The remains of crushed house and cars are seen in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 25, 2023, after a tornado touched down in the area. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP)

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A truck is seen driving down a street littered with debris after a deadly tornado in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. (Robert Ray)

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A destroyed home is seen in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, after a deadly tornado on Friday, March 24, 2023. (Robert Ray)

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A woman is seen near a truck and what's left of her home after a tornado in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on Friday, March 24, 2023. (Robert Ray)

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A pile of bricks is seen after a building was heavily damaged in a tornado in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 24, 2023. (Robert Ray)

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Aerial view of a destroyed neighborhood in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, after a tornado touched down in the area March 25, 2023. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP)

When Hardin and the rest of their group emerged from their freezer, they saw the restaurant destroyed and nearby motels and dozens of trailer homes completely leveled. Hardin later learned that some of her neighbors and friends had died during the tornado.

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While the small town of nearly 2,000 suffered enormous losses that day due to Hardin’s actions, multiple lives were saved. Her heroism and selflessness are why she received the first FOX Nation Weather Award for Courage.

Her award was one of several given during the Fox Nation Patriot Awards show in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday. The awards show celebrates patriotism by honoring everyday American heroes who have shown dedication to our nation.