Baby girl born in Rowlett laundry room during Sunday night’s tornado

ROWLETT, Texas - While a tornado swirled outside, one brave first-time mother gave birth in a Rowlett laundry room.

Mech Metiege’s baby girl wasn’t waiting any longer after a 41-week pregnancy. So she and her husband went to the Bump Birthing center in Rowlett Sunday night.

And just when she started pushing, the power went out and the tornado sirens started going off.

At that point, everyone helped the laboring mom into the laundry room. Her baby girl came into the world by candlelight.

“I didn’t even think about it. They just held me up, took me there and yeah,” Metiege said. "I just wanted to get the baby out of me and that was it. So I wasn't even thinking about tornadoes or anything."

Even after the baby was born, she said she was just so excited to see her daughter that she wasn't thinking about anything else.

“I knew I was in great hands from the get-go. With my follow-up, they’ve been so amazing and I learned to just trust them with everything,” Metiege said of the birthing center employees who helped her through the process.

Both mom and her baby girl are healthy and happy the tornado didn’t come any closer.

An EF-3 tornado was on and off the ground for a 17-mile stretch through Dallas, Richardson, Garland, Sachse and Rowlett.

It touched down just a mile and a half away from the birthing center.