Sat. Aug 2nd, 2025

‘It Pays to Pray’: Pastor Says Tornado Miraculously Missed Him and His Wife by 4 Inches

Clean up following tornado (Screenshot, CBN News)

Severe weather is still wreaking havoc in several states across the U.S.  Destructive tornados, torrential rains and strong winds have crashed once again across parts of the South on May 9, leaving many to fear what will be left after it is over, but some residents are attesting that prayer has gotten them through the worst of it.

As of May 8 and 9, about 220 million people were under some sort of severe weather risk.

Retired Pastor Walter Shell testified that he and his wife grabbed their two dogs and headed for the basement when his phone alerted him to a tornado in his area in Tennessee.

“It missed where me and my wife were standing by about about 4 inches. It went around,” he said. “It pays to pray, I can tell you.”

Since May 6, 39 states have been under threat of severe weather and at least four people have died.

Over in Nebraska, 70 workers are thanking God after surviving a tornado that ripped through their area, earlier this month. 

Nate Hutchison said he and his coworkers were getting ready to leave the Garner Industries’ industrial building in Lincoln when an EF-3 tornado was on a path to make a direct impact with the building. 

“The power shuts off and then like two or three minutes later, the air pressure changes completely,” Hutchinson told KLKN-TV. “You can hear things are just shaking … And everything just came down on top of us, just instantly.”

He said pieces of the ceiling began to fly overhead and all he could think to do was pray. 

“There’s nothing I can do right now except literally just pray to God that I don’t die because I’m not in control of anything at this point,” he said. “It’s just hopefully I don’t get crushed.”

Hutchinson survived without a scratch. Some of his coworkers were injured, but none were life-threatening. 

They are grateful to have survived. 

“Sitting there praying for God to save my life, and then I’m here, untouched,” Hutchinson said. 

In another recent tornado outbreak, a family is crediting a miracle for their survival after they were unable to get out of their home in time. 

Renee Stewart with Nebraska Medicine’s Multiple Sclerosis at Home Access program, or MAHA, was helping the family of a patient she routinely sees when she learned how they survived in storm. 

She told KETV-TV that Frank, a quadriplegic man with multiple sclerosis was stuck in his bed when the tornado touched down. Without time to move him, his wife and his son decided to use their bodies to shield him.

Reprinted with permission from cbn.com. Copyright © 2024 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.

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