Former Lethbridge, Alta., resident Kelly Damphousse tells a harrowing story about escaping harm from the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma and how a text message saved his life.

Damphousse, an associate dean at the University of Oklahoma, was helping his sister-in-law move to Oklahoma and was putting her things into a storage unit when he heard about the tornado.

He was nearly caught in the direct path of the powerful EF-5 tornado, but was able to drive away with his daughter and her pal after a friend of his sent a text message warning him the twister was headed in his direction.