Baby Miraculously Survives Being Sucked Up By Tennessee Tornado, Found Lying In A Downed Tree

Caitlyn Moore / GoFundMe

Multiple tornados ripped through Middle Tennessee on Saturday.      

On Saturday, December 9th, thousands of Middle Tennessee residents hunkered down in the bathrooms and basements of their homes and businesses as a series of storms tore through the area. The National Weather Service estimates that 13 tornadoes hit the greater Nashville area. 

The most significant damage was caused by an EF-3 tornado in Clarksville, Tennessee, and an EF-2 tornado in Madison, Tennessee. Six people lost their lives, many more were hospitalized, and dozens of structures were destroyed as a result of the storms. Thousands of residents were left without power in the winter weather. 

One Clarksville family experienced a miracle amidst the devastating storm.         

Sydney Moore and her family’s home was destroyed when the tornado ripped through their Clarksville neighborhood. Moore was in the back bedroom with her 1-year-old son when the storm crashed down. She recalls: 

“Something in me just told me to run and jump on top of my son. Literally the moment I jumped on him, the walls collapsed.”

Moore’s boyfriend was in the living room at the time, near where their 4-month-old baby was sleeping in a bassinet, when he saw the tornado funnel down on top of them. Moore said: 

“The roof came off first, the tip of the tornado came down and picked up the bassinet with my baby, Lord, in it. He was the first thing to go up.” 

She continued that her boyfriend lunged towards the 4-month-old, but he got spun up and thrown out along with the baby. 

“He was just holding on to the bassinet the whole time, and they went into circles, he said, and then they got thrown.” 

Moore and her 1-year-old son climbed out from under the debris. 

When the storm had passed, Moore and her elder son were trapped under the rubble of their former house. Somehow, she was able to find the strength to push their way out. For ten terrifying minutes, they searched for Lord before finding him nearby lying in a fallen tree in the pouring rain. 

“I was pretty sure he was dead and we weren’t going to find him. But he’s here, and that’s by the grace of God.”

The baby was alive and miraculously only had cuts and bruises. In fact, all four of the family members made it through the near-death experience with only minor injuries. 

Moore says that the Clarksville community has rallied to support them, specifically providing diapers and formula. However, the family lost everything they owned in the storm and are in need of a place to live. To donate to the GoFundMe that has been set up for the family, click here.