An Amazon delivery driver has gone viral after delivering packages to a home during a storm warning, racking up 42.9 million views on TikTok.
Tito Diaz (@adoseofdiaz) was getting ready to go out to dinner with his wife, Mollie, when he noticed a driver sitting in a van outside his home on August 27 around 6 p.m. He went to check whether the driver was OK, and she said she was taking a short break because of the intense heat.
Shortly after, the heavens opened and a storm siren, which Diaz believed to be a tornado alert, sounded.
The pastor from Ypsilanti, Michigan, told Newsweek: “The rain got crazy, and we heard the siren go off. We called the family together to sit in the middle of the house away from the windows. Immediately, I thought, The driver is outside, and opened the door again to get her attention.
“I tried several times to yell out to her to ask her to come inside, but I could not yell over the rain and wind. It was wild.”
Screenshots of a TikTok video showing Kayla, a delivery driver. The Amazon employee fought the elements to get packages to the Diaz family.
@adoseofdiaz/@adoseofdiaz
Diaz said he was embarrassed to admit that he did not want to go outside in the rain since he had gotten ready to go on a date with his wife. After a few unsuccessful yells, he braved the storm and found the driver, Kayla, with her headphones in, unaware of the storm siren.
“She was startled to see me, pulled her headphones out, and then heard the siren, too. I yelled for her to come inside the house. She agreed, and I ran back inside the house, thinking she was right behind me.
“When I turned around, I saw her in the rain and wind, tornado sirens going off … SCANNING THE PACKAGES. I was like, Ain’t no way this girl trying to make sure we get our packages in a dang tornado. But sure enough she was. I was in total disbelief of her desire to go above and beyond to make sure we got our packages. It was then that I pulled out my phone and started recording her,” Diaz added.
The video shows Kayla racing through torrential rain and into Diaz’s home, carrying the family’s packages, which included journals Diaz offers to the church he leads on Sundays for note-taking.
“There is a siren. Get in here. Forget about our packages. Come in. You are the bravest Amazon delivery driver ever,” Diaz says in the video as he welcomes Kayla into his home.
She puts down the packages and Diaz greets her, asking her name and giving her a high five. Kayla appears to remain in good spirits despite her sprint through heavy gusts and rain.
“I said come in, not bring our packages. This is literally a siren. A siren outside because there’s a tornado coming, and she brings our package in. Unbelievable,” Diaz said in the video.
Since sharing the video, Diaz realized the siren was not for a tornado, as he believed at the time.
Washtenaw County, where Ypsilanti is located, has an outdoor warning siren system used to alert residents of severe weather conditions—not only for tornadoes but also thunderstorms. They would also sound during a nuclear attack or in other emergency conditions.
Diaz said that once the driver was inside, Mollie immediately jumped into action and offered her a drink and a towel.
“The storm was still kicking hard, and the siren still rang out in the background, so no one was exactly in the mood to eat probably. I pulled up chairs in a circle in the middle of the house, and we all sat and chatted for a few minutes. Kayla shared some other crazy stories of her delivering, and we all laughed. After a while, the siren stopped, and she went back to work shortly after that,” he added.
After the video went viral, the couple was able to connect with Kayla’s sister, whom they are taking out for dinner this week.
TikTokers, stunned by the driver’s actions, sent their well-wishes. They also applauded Diaz’s selflessness.
“The real hero is the man telling the stranger to come inside and be safe from the storm and tornado siren,” one viewer wrote.
“TY for keeping Kayla safe. And good job Kayla for doing your job well. My daughter is also an Amazon delivery girl, and she had a very familiar situation, but it was a flood and not a tornado,” another said.
“Talk about dedication. Amazon needs to promote her,” another user added.
A commenter wrote, “When your mama raised you to never go to somebody’s house empty-handed.”
“Dear Amazon driver, I have literally NEVER ordered anything worth you getting sucked to Oz over,” another said.
“Now that is prime delivery,” a user commented.
Branden Baribeau, an Amazon spokesperson, told Newsweek: “Safety is always our top priority. When severe weather happens, we work with our Delivery Service Partners and communicate with drivers to make sure they’re able to seek shelter or take a break depending on conditions. We also regularly remind anyone who delivers on our behalf that they should never make a delivery if conditions aren’t safe to do so.”
