Meteorologist McCall Vrydaghs reflects on terrifying night she tracked 15 Dayton-area tornadoes

She could see the streets being hit by tornadoes and knew hundreds of thousands of people were there.

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

McCall Vrydaghs knew the dots on her screen were more than just dots on a screen. They represented trees and houses being ripped apart by violent tornadoes.

Her thoughts were on the people.

>> Everything you need to know after the tornadoes

"The technology and the early warnings, I think that saved so many lives," Vrydaghs, WHIO's chief meteorologist, told "What Had Happened Was" podcast host Amelia Robinson. "I honestly thought I was going to wake up to dozens of people who were killed."

McVall Vrydaghs

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She used passion and scientific knowledge to inform Dayton-area residents when 15 tornadoes — including a monstrous one — assaulted the community on Memorial Day.

Vrydaghs and Robinson talk about what Vrydaghs did and felt that frightening night.

RELATED: Meteorologist McCall Vrydaghs’ letter to community: ‘You took the call seriously and acted just as you should’

Want to help Dayton area residents impacted by the Memorial Day tornadoes?

Donate to The Foodbank of Dayton (thefoodbankdayton.org) or the Dayton Foundation's Greater Dayton Relief Fund (daytonfoundation.org).

>> Tornado relief: How you can help

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"What Had Happened Was" is a podcast for Dayton, powered by Dayton.com. You won't believe the stories that come from right here. Host Amelia Robinson shares the best tales from the Gem City, Land of Funk and Birthplace of Aviation: Dayton, Ohio.

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