Shutterstock
In the wake of the disastrous and deadly tornadoes that struck Tennessee, some miraculous stories of survival are emerging – here are a few of those stories…
Before we reveal some of these miraculous stories, it’s worth putting the scope of this disaster and perspective. The National Weather Service has now revealed that the tornado that tore through numerous Nashville communities stayed on the ground for 50.25 miles.
The tornado path traveled across Davidson, Wilson and Smith counties. A separate tornado moved through Putnam County. The National Weather Service is still surveying around Cookeville to determine the path of the tornado that caused destruction there.
A Crane worker had the unfortunate luck of being forced to remain on a perilous perch some 375 feet above the ground when the tornado made its way into Nashville. It would have taken the man 15 minutes to climb down, so his only option was to try to ride the storm out.
Knowing he was in a deadly situation, the man recorded a video, sending a message to his loved ones.
“There’s a real tornado right there,” he said in the video. “Oh my God, If something happens, make sure everybody knows I love them.”
The video was posted on Twitter, and the spinning monstrous funnel can be seen in the video, with sparks shooting everywhere as it took down power lines.
Although there is no further report, it appears the man survived as he was a safe distance from the twister and behind the safety glass inside the crane’s cabin.
Crews working in Putnam County were searching through the debris when an officer with the Sparta Police Department found a Bible. “There’s not a page gone in this Bible. It’s a family Bible,” Officer Denton said. “We’d like to find out whose family Bible it was.”
Officials said other crews also found untouched Bibles in the rubble. Law enforcement is hoping to return the family Bibles to their owners. Officer Denton described the wreckage as the worst thing he had ever seen.
In North Nashville, a man returning to his destroyed home found an amazing site. A picture of Jesus was still standing amid the ruin and rubble of everything else in the home that had been leveled.
“He still watches over us no matter what,” Troy Coleman said. “It’s there. We’re still here,” Coleman added. “My mother and I, we made it out. We’re OK.”
One Tennessee couple, residents of Cookeville, described how they were awakened by a tornado warning on their phone. They heard a “deep roar” and immediately rushed to take cover in their bathtub.
The next thing the couple knew they were airborne.
“We were flying in the air, into the trees back there, where once we hit those trees,” Seth Wells said. “The house… it just exploded. The house just disintegrated.”
Wells partner Danielle Theophile said she felt herself “lifting and flipping over” as the house flew through the air. She required 15 stitches after her head was “split open” during the ordeal.
“I have no clue how we survived,” Wells added. “Like the Wizard of Oz.”
Several Lowe’s locations located around middle Tennessee are offering buckets full of supplies, as well as meals, for those in need on Thursday.
The free supplies will be available between the hours of 10 AM-noon at the following Lowe’s locations:
In the wake of the disaster, many families have lost everything.
Even things many of us might not be thinking about, such as needing to find denture dentists or glasses, because the tornado struck when people were sleeping, and these items were lost along with all their other belongings.
People can’t eat properly or see without these items. People have lost lifesaving medical devices. The list goes on. Consider donating to a reputable charity to help the people of Nashville.
