In the midst of deadly tornadic outbreak Friday night in Mississippi, Matt Laubhan, a meteorologist for WTVA Fox News 9 in Tupelo, Mississippi, paused for a moment when he saw the storms approaching the town of Amory, located in the northeast corner of Mississippi between Tupelo and Starkville.
Laubhan knew that the tornado would make a direct hit on Amory.
“Oh man, like north side of Amory, this is coming in,” said Laubhan, an Emmy-award winning meteorologist.
Bowing his head and sighing, Laubhan then said, “Dear Jesus, please help them. Amen.”
Of course, the state of Mississippi is in the middle of the Bible Belt, but how many television personalities, national or local, would pause their on-air broadcast to say a prayer to their Savior, and how many television station owners these days would allow that to happen?
The tornado ripped through Mississippi Friday night and killed at least 26 people.
Throughout his broadcast, Laubhan began become noticeably upset as he realized the tornado would certainly hit Amory, a small two of just over 6,500.
As the broadcast went on, Laubhan warned that “this is a strong, life-threatening tornado that’s going to move close to Amory,” and warned the audience “we need to be in our tornado safe place.”
Strong Faith in Jesus
Although the storms delivered what Fox News Digital called “unparalleled devastation,” one Mississippi pastor held church service on Sunday in wake of the devastation in “hopes of bringing his congregation together at a time when they need it the most.”
Britt Williamson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Rolling Fork, a town nearly leveled by the F-4 storm, told Fox & Friends Weekend on Sunday why he decided to hold services.
“Because this is not something that’s going to be a week or two-week recovery. It’s going to be months, if not years.”
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Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charisma Media.
