There are moments in life when we remember exactly where we were and what we were doing at the time. Sometimes, those are the same moments that make us hug our loved ones a little tighter, a little longer, because they allow us to appreciate how precious life is.

For the patrons of Big Play, a newly opened entertainment center in Hendersonville, that moment happened on December 9, when 200 children and adults survived a direct hit from the tornado that devastated much of Main Street.

By all accounts, the actions of Big Play’s General Manager, Kaleb Moon, saved countless lives as he instinctively moved all 200 occupants to the center of the facility just before the building was struck. Kaleb had been keeping a nervous eye on the weather that afternoon and had apprised his staff of a plan to move everyone should the need arise. Despite being prepared, no one could have imagined the sheer magnitude of the impending storm or the devastation it would cause.

In the middle of that very busy afternoon, with birthday and Christmas parties in full swing, every cell phone in the building began to drone with the sound of an extreme weather alert. At that moment, Kaleb knew instinctively that it was time to act.

“It was a new alert I've never heard before, and it was incredibly loud because there were so many people with phones in one area,” says Kaleb. “As soon as it went off, I knew we had to get everyone to the center of the room.”

Almost immediately, the power flickered then went out altogether. Seconds after that, the exterior wall closest to the group began to groan, then came down completely, crashing onto the Go-Kart track.

‍

Kaleb describes what happened next:

“The force of the wind was full speed in there and it was like a vacuum. We were holding on to rails just to keep from flying out. In fact, two large Christmas trees that were in the café flew out of the building.”

As the wind swirled, Kaleb’s wife, Brittany, a shift leader at Big Play, used her body to shield two children she didn’t know, as did many of the adults present at the time.

“With the ceiling tiles falling and the wind like a vacuum, it really felt like as if you could be sucked out of the building,” continues Kaleb. “People were grabbing their kids, grabbing each other, and random adults were jumping on top of kids to hold them down and protect them from everything that was falling.”

Shortly after the first wall came down, Kaleb could see that the ceiling was beginning to undulate.

“It was moving up and down, and then it sort of let loose like a flag after it was ripped off,” he says.

All told, three of the four walls, in addition to the roof, crumbled under the force of the tornado, which lasted mere seconds.

In the aftermath of the storm, Kaleb and his employees worked in total darkness to ensure everyone was accounted for, and guide them from the building to the parking lot. Although the tornado had passed, Kaleb was keenly aware that it was still a very dangerous situation.

“I was worried about the power lines being live. The sprinklers from the remaining ceiling were going off, and I've always heard about how electricity and water is a deadly combination, so we just started herding everyone out,” he explains. “The part of the building still standing was making a lot of noise, and as the ceiling tiles filled with water they were falling so everyone needed to get out as soon as possible.”

Once the group arrived in the parking lot, they were met by first responders, who had arrived within minutes. Kaleb is quick to praise the Hendersonville Police and Fire Departments, as well as the paramedics who arrived on the scene.

“It was amazing how quickly the first responders were there and how they completely took control of the situation,” he said.

Despite the entire building crumbling, there were only two minor injuries reported thanks to the quick response of Kaleb Moon and the employees of Big Play. Although it may be a lengthy process, Kaleb says Big Play intends to rebuild and remain committed to serving the community that has come together to support them.

‍