Four strangers clubbed together to drive over 1,000 miles through a snow storm to get home - after their flight got cancelled.

Natalie Kulka, 23, wanted to get back for the holidays but her flight to Cleveland, Ohio from Tampa, Florida, USA

was cancelled after a cyclone struck.

Left with no other options Natalie turned around and joked if anyone else from the flight wanted to drive home with her.

She recruited three strangers Sarah, Kevin and Nick and they flew to Nashville and then drove through lethal conditions to get to Ohio.

They rented an SUV but were given a Toyota Carolla which wasn't suitable to drive through the ice and snow.

They then had to swap cars and change routes half way home on Christmas Eve after twenty hours of travel.

En-route, they got stuck at the bottom of a hill and heard frightening reports of people dying in extreme conditions but they stuck together and made it back just in the nick of time for Christmas.

The flights cost around $400 each but were all refunded, the first rental car cost $175, which was also refunded, and the final SUV rental cost $400.

Natalie, an expressive art therapist said: "You never know when you might need the help of the people around you. "

"I hadn't seen a lot of my family for over two years and I wanted to get home for the holidays and I wouldn't have been able to make it. "

"A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet." "

Natalie started her journey when she was travelling from Tampa to Cleveland but all four of her booked flights had been cancelled.

She made it onto her final booked flight to Akron, Ohio but it was cancelled as the travellers made their way on board.

She walked off the flight and as a joke, turned to the group around her, and asked if anyone wanted to drive with her.

A woman, Sarah, 23, agreed and as they walked back into the airport they recruited two more members, Nick and Kevin, to join the road trip.

Kevin revealed he had booked a trip to Nashville on a flight leaving in within 45 minutes which would bring them closer to Cleveland, Ohio.

The quartet boarded the flight and arrived in Nashville at 2pm - they then rented an SUV at the airport but were given a tiny Toyota Carrola.

"We just started driving but the ice was awful, we were having to drive at 5-10 miles an hour. "

"The further North we went the worse it got. "

"We called the rental place to ask if we could change the car but they were all booked out." "

They made it to Elizabethtown, Kentucky and went to fill up their petrol

Over the road, they spotted a rental car shop and were able to secure an SUV for the rest of their travels.

They made it to Cincanetti, Ohio, 20 miles south of their final destination but then the only route heading north was closed off.

Natalie said: "The entire road was an ice rink, there were so many accidents. "

"We had to go back the way we came and try another route in." "

The group made their way back the way they came but got stuck at the bottom of a road in Kentucky.

"We had to get out and push the car back up the hill and help other people. "

"It was a relief when we finally got the car up." "

It was now 2am, and the new friends kept driving to make back to Cincanetti to take the 65 north bound highway to make it to Indianapolis, Indiana.

"We had a system of driver and co-pilot whilst the other two slept. "

"The adrenaline got us through and we got to know each other along the way. "

"We were very wary that we didn't have suitable snow clothes and we had the approach to take it slow and steady. "

"Lots of people crashed and many people froze to death in their cars, it was terrible." "

After what should have been an eight-hour car journey took 20 hours, they all arrived home safe and sound on 24 December.

"We were so committed to getting there and we got to know each other on the journey. It was such a coincidence we were all in our twenties and we are hoping to all meet up again." "

ENDS

Break down of the journey

9.45am - Flight from Tampa to Nashville



2pm - They drove to Elizabethtown in a Toyota Carolla and managed to swap it for an SUV

The group kept driving North through the storm but couldn’t get further than Cincinatti, Ohio

1am - They had to re-route and find another way into Cleveland, they headed south towards Kentucky



Despite petrifying conditions, they got back onto the 65 north highway and reached Kentucky



They kept driving North and reached Indianapolis, Indiana and headed east



10am - They finally made it home to Cleveland, Ohio just in time for Christmas