While sitting in his SUV on Franklin Street in Gretna, he says the tornado lifted him up. 'It happened fast. I've never been inside a tornado before,' Willis said. When Michael Willis was running errands Wednesday on the Westbank, the sky got dark “Scariest thing in my life, I’m not going to lie,” Willis said. “Normally you can see something coming. I promise you I didn't hear anything or see anything.” While gathering supplies for a weekend toy giveaway through his organization H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Endure), Willis found himself in the path of a tornado.