A deadly series of tornadoes swept through Texas, Arkansas and Missouri over the weekend, killing more than a dozen people and leaving destruction in their paths, and the impact at one church near Dallas, Texas, is creating quite a bit of buzz. St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church was among the buildings that were dramatically impacted when a tornado ripped through the town of Emory on Saturday.
But while the roof and walls of the church building were torn off and “both ends of the building were blown out,” as Peyton Low, the Diocese of Tyler’s director of public affairs told media, not one of the 45 people inside were injured. There reportedly wasn’t even a scratch on any of the adults or children huddled inside.
“We could see the beams bending and the aluminum roof being ripped away,” youth minister Monica Hughes told CNN, noting that she and her husband held the doors closed as the storm hit. “Everybody dropped to the floor and protected one another.” Hughes said that the group — which remained in place for two hours after the storm to ensure their safety — also relied on prayer throughout the ordeal.
In the aftermath, those inside are immensely grateful for their survival. “People are using the term ‘miraculous’ (to describe what unfolded),” Low said.