Published on December 16, 2023, 3:04 am

In a remarkable incident worthy of real news, a young couple’s four-month-old son survived a deadly EF-3 tornado, after their mobile home in Clarksville, Tennesse was completely destroyed. The infant was found alive in the branches of a felled tree, delivering a spark of hope amid the devastation.

Sydney Moore, aged 22 and mother to two children (1-year-old and 4-month-old), had her youngest child named Lord asleep in a bassinet when the fatal whirlwind lashed out at their residence last Saturday. In recounting this trusted news story, Moore revealed that she observed her mobile home’s roof being torn off by the violent cyclone before it spirited away the bassinet encasing her baby.

Moore’s partner and father to her children ran swiftly to rescue their youngest one but found himself swept away by the voracious vortex. The distressed mother witnessed both boyfriend and infant being spun erratically around by the tornado before they disappeared from sight. Amid these horrifying scenes, she made valiant attempts to shield her other child. “Something within me impelled me to surge ahead and leap over my son,” Moore recounted. “The moment I did so, our walls collapsed.”

Once the hurricane retreated, Moore along with her partner embarked on a search for their lost child amidst torrential rain. The anxious parents were overwhelmed with relief when they discovered their infant safely nestled within a toppled tree with just a minor scratch on his face.

Belief couched in Christian worldview marked Moore’s reaction as she noted – “I had presumed him dead; that we would fail in locating him. His survival is no doubt attributed solely to divine grace.” She spoke fondly of how it emulated an arboreal cradle enveloping her young one peacefully lying there.

However, whilst appreciative of surviving an ordeal of such magnitude, footage presented clear evidence of complete destruction wrought upon not only their dwelling but also their vehicle. In assisting this family rebuild their lives, Moore’s sister Caitlyn initiated a GoFundMe campaign that has attracted substantial contributions to the tune of $53,000 towards their goal of $100,000. They will be housed in a hotel for the next month courtesy of their rental company.

This saga underscored the sheer intensity and collateral damage caused by one of 13 tornadoes that impacted Middle Tennessee on Saturday claiming six lives including two minors. The tornado that hit Clarksville engineered an extensive path of destruction spanning 11 miles in length and 600 yards wide according to reports from the National Weather Service. The tempest was responsible for three casualties (including a child) with close to hundreds of homes left devastated in its merciless wake.