A young couple in Clarksville, Tennessee, experienced a terrifying and devastating ordeal when a powerful EF-3 tornado struck their mobile home on Saturday afternoon. Sydney Moore, a 22-year-old mother of a 1-year-old and a 4-month-old, along with her boyfriend and two children, were inside their mobile home when the twister hit. The force of the tornado tore off the roof of their home and sucked up their 4-month-old baby, Lord, who was sleeping in a bassinet.
Moore and her boyfriend helplessly watched as their child was taken by the tornado. The mother quickly acted to protect her other child by jumping on top of him as the walls collapsed around them. After the tornado passed, the parents frantically searched for their 4-month-old, fearing the worst. However, their prayers were answered when they found Lord alive in a fallen tree with only a cut on his face.
Moore tearfully expressed her gratitude, saying she thought her child was dead and credits his survival to the grace of God. She described the scene as a “little tree cradle,” where her baby was miraculously protected from the destruction all around them. Although the family is grateful for their survival, the footage from the news showed the complete destruction of their home and vehicle.
The Clarksville tornado was one of 13 that wreaked havoc throughout Middle Tennessee on Saturday. The twisters left a path of destruction, claiming the lives of six people, including two children, and causing severe damage to hundreds of homes. The tornado that hit Clarksville was particularly violent, leaving an 11-mile-long and 600-yard-wide destruction path in its wake.
Sydney Moore says she shielded her 1-year-old and her boyfriend went to grab their 4-month-old when the tornado hit Clarksville. Their baby was found in the rubble and was rushed to the hospital with a mild concussion and facial wound @nc5 Donate here: https://t.co/dDWOO30G02 pic.twitter.com/h1OukmcVjS
— Alexandra Koehn (@NC5_AKoehn) December 13, 2023
In the aftermath of the disaster, Moore’s sister, Caitlyn, set up a GoFundMe page to help the young family find a new place to live. The page has already raised over $53,000 of its $100,000 goal, showing the community’s support and generosity towards the family.
For the next month, the family will be provided with a hotel stay by their rental company, but they will need long-term assistance to get back on their feet. The kindness and compassion shown by their community during this difficult time will undoubtedly help them in their journey to rebuild and recover.
