Man Survives Tornado, Shelters Relatives While Playing 'Fortnite'

A North Carolina man showed remarkable multitasking skills over the weekend. Anton Williams of Greensboro, North Carolina, managed to keep a couple of young family members safe as a tornado ravaged the area on Sunday, all while trying to survive in the cutthroat online world of “Fortnite.”

In an interview with WXII-12, Williams said he had been playing the popular online shooting game when he noticed roofs being ripped off the houses around him as winds hit 135 mph.

All while staying focused on “Fortnite,” as the game was winding down and he was still alive, he herded his nephew and sister into the bathroom for safety. As the trio waited for the storm’s rampage to subside, Williams kept playing “Fortnite.” He did not say whether or not he managed to pull off a victory during the chaos.

The full interview with Williams can be seen below.

“Honestly, I was thinking about the game, but I was hoping everybody was OK around me,” Williams told the outlet.

The tornado that tore through Greensboro on Sunday was part of a larger storm system that blanketed parts of the midwest with rain and snow, according to CBS News. There was at least one fatality in Greensboro. The storm also deprived thousands of power, destroyed homes and led to school cancellations.

“Fortnite” is a wildly popular and ubiquitous online video game in which 100 players airdrop onto a large island with the goal of being the last one standing. Ironically, a deadly storm is constantly encroaching upon players and making the playing area smaller to encourage more conflict between contestants.

Williams did not say which version of the game he played during the storm, but if he was able to keep playing while moving around, it was likely the recently released mobile phone variant. “Fortnite” on phones is reportedly such a phenomenon among young people that high school teachers view it as a menace.