After a tornado obliterated their rural home, a family in Mississippi lost everything after a tornado annihilated their rural home on Easter Sunday, but they all survived because of a home safe-room that doubles as a closet.
In a two-day period, as severe storms ripped across the South, more than 30 people were killed and leaving more than 1 million homes without power. Janice Dean, Fox News senior meteorologist, said there were reports of close to 80 tornadoes linked to the violent weather.
Dean said they have one reported tornado in Mississippi that tracked over 100 miles, this tornado that hit was one for the record books on terms of how many tornadoes they have.
In two-day time, storms stretched from Texas to Mississippi, and then farther east to the Georgia coast and northward to Virginia. Hundreds of trees down across the region were reported by the National Weather Service (NWS), including many that punctured roofs and downed power lines.
On Tuesday, Dean said that this is going to be a trying time for the people in the South.
Members of a family in a dazzled area of Mississippi said they just managed to get into their safe room seconds before a tornado struck.
In an interview, one of the survivors, Andrew Phillips said that he was in there about 20 seconds when the tornado hit. Their house and everything else is gone with only the safe room left.
Phillips and his family had only been living in their home for a few weeks. He said the safe room was built from concrete blocks, acted as a closet and was one of the reasons he bought the home.
Some homes in the so-called "Tornado Alley" are adapted with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)- approved "safe rooms," which, according to the organization, is a hardened structure specifically designed to meet FEMA criteria and provide life-safety protection in extreme wind, including tornadoes and hurricanes.
On Easter Sunday, the family was watching an online service when Phillips, a volunteer firefighter, started tracking the weather online and on a fire radio.
As the tornado drew near his home in Moss, he hurried the family into the room. Phillips said he saw the funnel cloud outside, and then he grabbed pillows from his bedroom before running back to cover his family.
The storm obliterated their home, with the safe room the only part left standing he shared on Facebook.
Phillips wrote on Facebook that the more he looks at what is left of their house, it makes him think of the tomb Jesus Christ was in there protecting them.
The whole family of four survived the tornado without a scratch.
Phillips added that since their tomb is empty they have risen and will return soon. The damages will be handled by the insurance and he added to trust in the good Lord.
On Monday, Phillips said they are going to try to come back bigger and better.
While Phillips's family have survived the storm, others in Mississippi were not as fortunate. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported 11 confirmed deaths in the state and multiple injuries due to the storm.
The Lawrence Country Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook that Deputy Robert Ainsworth and his wife, Paula, were killed in their home when the tornado annihilated across the state.
The Sheriff's office said that Robert left this world a hero, as he shielded Mrs. Paula during the tornado and that he was a very valuable employee and will be greatly missed.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves stated that the storms were as bad as or worse than anything they have seen in a decade.
Gov. Reeves said Despite the fact that they are used to tornadoes hitting them, they are not used to tornadoes with this intensity.
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