Carla Williamson’s house collapsed into the basement around her. Somehow, she survived.
Greta Van Susteren returns to her hometown of Appleton, Wisconsin, after an EF-3 tornado with winds reaching approximately 140 miles per hour tore through Appleton and Menasha.
In this special “Record Rewind” edition of “Greta Wire,” Williamson recounts the terrifying moments after she took shelter in her basement. Within minutes, the house shifted off its foundation and collapsed over her. Trapped beneath the wreckage with almost no room to move, Carla remained on the phone with a 911 dispatcher for 29 minutes before a stranger entered the destroyed home and helped rescue her.
Greta also speaks with Sen. Ron Johnson about the recovery, homeowner Don Wilson about surviving the storm with only seconds to spare, and local officials about emergency warnings, FEMA assistance and the long rebuilding process ahead.
Throughout the devastation, hundreds of volunteers—including teams from Samaritan’s Purse—are clearing debris, cutting fallen trees and helping families begin again.
Today’s podcast is sponsored by :
PARAMOUNT PLUS – Don’t Miss “Lioness” – all episodes now streaming on https://www.paramountplus.com/
CHAPTERS
00:00 Paramount Plus presents “Greta Wire”
00:37 Greta reports from the Appleton tornado zone
01:37 Sen. Ron Johnson on recovery and community response
05:51 Carla Williamson’s extraordinary basement survival
10:28 Carla’s 29-minute call with a 911 dispatcher
12:25 A stranger runs into the wreckage to rescue her
15:39 The metal shelves Carla believes saved her life
19:24 Meteorologist Amy Metz surveys the destruction
21:48 Hundreds of volunteers join the recovery
23:08 Don Wilson describes escaping with seconds to spare
24:52 Samaritan’s Purse becomes an answer to prayer
28:09 Wisconsin politics and the governor’s race
29:46 Emergency alerts, FEMA and the government response
36:35 Alexander Williamson describes his mother’s rescue
40:29 The neighbor who left his walker behind to help
42:27 Greta’s final thoughts from Wisconsin
42:59 Subscribe and follow “Greta Wire”
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