Jan Davis, assistant vice president and manager of the TinkerFederal Credit Union branch in tornado-ravaged Moore, Okla., is notsure how her harrowing experience has changed her.

But she does know her appreciation for life, her love ofcommunity is deeper than ever. And she is looking forward torebuilding the TFCU branch that was ripped apart by a violenttornado in a matter of minutes.

“I love the people here and I am very happy to stay here….torebuild that branch and start again,” Davis said in an interviewwith the Credit Union Times. “We'll make it biggerand better.”

Also from Oklahoma Tornado:

Also from Oklahoma Tornado:

• Loans to Offer Shelter From the Storms
• Ohio, Kansas, California Joins in ReliefEffort
• Pen Air FCU Starts ReliefCollections
• Redstone Collecting Donations inAlabama
• Leagues Chip In, Life-Saving Vault StillInaccessible
• CUNA Mutual Contacts 57 CUs
• Branch's Vault Still StandsSentinel
• NCUA Activates Relief Policy
• Weokie Staff Also Retreated toVault
• CUNA Mutual Sending DisasterTeam
• League, NCUF Assessing Impact
• Tinker Staffers Survive in Safe

Today, the 6,387-square-foot TFCU branch is a chaotic pile ofbroken steel beams, splintered wood, broken glass, twisted sheetmetal, torn insulation, shredded wires and busted office furnitureand equipment. Every car in the branch's parking lot also wasdestroyed by the tornado Monday afternoon that claimed the lives of24 people, including eight children and two infants, and causedmore than $2 billion in damage.

On Monday afternoon, there were 14 employees, including a policeofficer, eight members, including a little boy who was with hisdad, in the branch. Davis was closely monitoring the tornadoreports on television.

“I could see that the tornado was escalating and couldpotentially be heading our way,” she said. “I put my entire staffon alert. We were readying ourselves to go into the vault.”

When the tornado sirens sounded, the employees and membershurried into the vault.

For about three horrifying minutes, Davis, the employees andmembers, were cramped in a safe deposit vault as the monstroustornado was raging around them,destroying everything in its path.

“I was at the door and left it just a crack open so I could tellwhat was happening,” she said. “Once I heard the noise of thetornado – the cracks and the pops – I knew it was there and pulledthe steel door shut. We heard very loud bangs and crashes, glassbreaking, things hitting things. There was no doubt in anybody'smind in that vault that the building was gone.”

(Click to enlarge this image from Sarah Phipps, TheOklahoman NewsOK.com)

What made matters even more stressful is that the pressureinside the vault was overwhelming. It feels like the pressure thatbuilds up in your head when you're flying in an airplane. But whena tornado is bearing down on you, Davis described, multiply thatpressure in your head by a 100 times.

“It feels like your head is going to explode,” she said.

As Davis and others were pulling the steel door shut to makesure it wouldn't suddenly blow open by the fierce, 200 mph winds ofthe tornado, some people were crying and others were praying.

“I was telling people that it (the vault) was going to hold,”said Davis. “And I believed that to the core of my body. I am aperpetual optimistic.”

Davis, who hasbeen manager of the branch since it was opened in 2005, knewthat there was rebar (steel rods) within the concrete shellsurrounding the vault, and that the rebar rods were securelyfastened to the foundation of the branch.

“I'm not saying it's the greatest storm shelter ever, but it wason Monday,” she said.

When the tornado finally subsided, they tried to push open thedoor but debris was blocking it. The police officer called9-1-1.

Although everyone in the vault was relieved that the tornado hadpassed and first responders were on the way, the odor of naturalgas was filling up the vault.

“The smell of natural gas was pretty thick,” Davis said. “Wewere anxious but everyone remained calm.”

Finally, the first responders removed the debris from the doorand opened it.

“Everyone was absolutely relieved to be out of there,” Davissaid. “Everyone in that vault walked out in good shape.”

The TFCU employees and members were among the first to see thedevastation that surrounded them.

“We couldn't step anywhere without stepping on debris,” saidDavis, who stayed with employees and members until relatives pickedthem up.

Davis eventually made her way home as well and sharedunforgettable moments of relief and elation with her family,including a very special someone.

“I have a grandchild and she was never so happy to see me,”Davis said.

The story of the TFCU vault saving the lives of employees andmembers caught the attention of the national media and was featuredon Wednesday'sNBC Nightly News.