A New York man attempted to warn his fiancé about a dangerous impending storm in his final text message to her Tuesday, but his efforts were to no avail.
According to Syracuse.com, that night Bobby Newman texted the love of his life, Kimberly Hilliard, drawings for the windows of a new home they were constructing. She approved and told him it was getting dark.
That's when Hilliard said she was going to take a nap with the couple's four-month-old, Paris.
Newman told her in his final text to stay safe and keep an eye out for the storm. That's the last thing he'd ever tell her.
A house is covered with the debris of another house that was blown onto it during Tuesday's storm, on Wednesday, July 9, 2014, in Smithfield, N.Y. The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado destroyed the homes in upstate New York where four people were killed. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)
After driving through tumultuous rain and bad conditions to reach her home for dinner, he looked up the hill on her road and saw that the house was gone.
"I could tell something terrible had happened,'' he told Syracuse.com, "and I right away started calling Kim. I called probably five or six times in a row, but there was no answer. I knew it wasn't good."
[sharequote align="center"]"I could tell something terrible had happened" [/sharequote]
The tornado, boasting winds of up to 135 mph had hit the town, killing his fiancé and daughter. The only survivor was Hilliard's dog, a black lab named Cole.
"People tell me I seem like I'm being really strong, but actually it just hasn't sunk in yet,'' he told Syracuse.com. "I'm still in shock. I still just can't believe it."
"Paris was just the happiest, most wicked beautiful baby,'' he added. "She was long and chunky, and always smiling."
The couple planned to wed in 2016, wanting to have the reception at their new home that was being constructed on the hill next to where Hilliard lived.
"She was so smart and beautiful, and I will miss her,'' he said.
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