LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. -- A Lawrenceburg man who has saved everything for years said his clutter may have saved his life.

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Several homes were destroyed and many more were damaged in Friday’s tornadoes in Lawrence and Giles counties, but Bobby Massey’s family is crediting his bad habit of being a pack rat with saving their house.

"The wind came through, and this whole trailer right here was loaded down with stuff," he said.

Massey admitted to being a pack rat and said he’s been saving stuff all his life. He’s been packing items away even though his children have tried to convince him to get rid of things.

"Have your kids given you a little bit of hard time about it?" asked reporter Sara Dorsey.

"Everybody does. I’m used to it, though. I don’t pay no attention to it," he said.

When the storms came through, the family focused on saving themselves. Massey and his daughter, Ila Massey, hid in a bathroom.

"I just saw things flying. Tress, everything was moving, and you have no idea if you’re going to make it," Ila Massey said.

When the Masseys walked outside, they said the trailer packed with Bobby Massey’s stuff had stood fast and protected the house.

"That thing is loaded down with heavy stuff," he said.

"Had that trailer not been there, what do you think would have happened?" Dorsey asked.

"I guarantee you, it would have leveled the house," he said.

Ila Massey said that this one time, father knew best.

"We’ve been trying to tell him for years, ‘Let’s get rid of this.’ You know, so it’s one of those things you’re glad that he didn’t because it literally saved the house," Ila Massey said.

The Masseys are getting assistance from the Red Cross until their home can be repaired and their electricity. The Red Cross said what it needs most is cash donations.