The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. ", "But Ava had been asking about her mother, 'Is mommy alive?'" "Maybe she won't be forgotten too quickly," she says. She texted back, and then she texted me again. The National Weather Service says an EF-1 tornado caused that damage , which has left the family to count their blessings, despite extensive damage to their home. The other family members were injured, but survived. Annistyn also attended the same elementary school where her mom and Hooker teach. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Her mom and her dad encouraged her and supported her to live life to the full.". Legal Statement. Additionally, there were reports that a "brief tornado" touched down in DuPage County, and reports of wind damage from a "possible tornado in Kendall County. EYEWITNESS TO DEADLY KENTUCKY TORNADO DISCUSSES STATE OF COMMUNITY: WE LOST OUR HISTORY. A candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, and an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois, were hit. More shocking was a trailer which had been parked RELATED: Florida father & son killed on hunting trip during storms in Tennessee. In Pemiscot County in southeastern Missouri, bordering Arkansas and Kentucky, where the Rackleys live, the sheriff's office did not immediately return telephone messages Monday seeking comment about the storm that destroyed the Rackleys' home. Hooker said after a prayer vigil Sunday, searchers in the field near the Rackleys house found the doll that Annistyn was holding in the photo. "And she did," Hooker tells PEOPLE, "right up till the tornado killed her. Hooker said Meghan Rackleys injuries included broken bones, a brain injury and a large cut, and shes asking people to pray for the 32-year-old mother. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Tornadoes also roared through both the Missouri and Illinois sides of the St. Louis area, as well as the Memphis, Tennessee, area and parts of Arkansas and Illinois. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. But he and the youngest daughter, 3-year-old Alanna Little Lani are no longer hospitalized. Seven-year-old Avalinn told doctors she flew around in the tornado, Hooker said. And she said, 'I prayed to Jesus to take care of me. Fifteen minutes later, Sandra Hooker said, a tornado splintered the home, carrying the family members dozens of yards through the air into a field where first responders found them in mud. Ava was still in pediatric intensive care as of Monday afternoon. But she said Annistyn still was full of energy and delighted in donning outfits and makeup for cheer competitions and learning new dances from TikTok. Following a morning of thunderstorms, lightning, heavy rain and strong winds, the threat of tornadoes loomed late Monday morning over parts of the Chicago area as the National Weather Service issued warning and watches spanning from DuPage County in Illinois to Porter County in Indiana. And it was like the house 'popped. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But she said Annistyn still was full of energy and delighted in donning outfits and makeup for cheer competitions and learning new dances from TikTok. Their house is splintered, she told The Associated Press. "Meghan is fighting for her life," says Meghan's aunt, Sandra Hooker, 62, who is also a teacher. St. Charles County, Missouri police warning looters that trespassing and theft will result in prosecution as recovery efforts continue. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The great aunt of a nine-year-old Missouri girl killed last week in the deadly tornado outbreak across the Midwest shared the moments leading up to the tragedy in an emotional "Fox & Friends" interview Wednesday. She said she talked to the girls mother, Meghan Rackley, on Friday afternoon about the possibility of bad storms. '", "They knew that this was gonna come," says Hooker. She has several broken vertebrae in her back, and they are going to be putting in some rods and things on Wednesday morning. From left, Annistyn Rackley with sisters Avalinn and Lani. They had splinters in their skin. Sandra Hooker shared a picture of the family's three young girls taken just minutes before the storm hit Caruthersville, located along the Mississippi River near the Tennessee border. Girl sheltering with family killed in tornado. "She said that she knew she was flying around the tornado and she said 'I prayed to Jesus for him to take care of me' and that tornado spit me out into the mud," Hooker said. She said she talked to the girls mother, Meghan Rackley, on Friday afternoon about the possibility of bad storms. Girls high school basketball team forfeits a game because it refused to play against a team with a transgender player, Fox Leaders Wanted to Break From Trump but Struggled to Make It Happen, Not Going to Read That: White House Press Secretary Brushes Off DeSantis Op-Ed, Teacher accused of hiding recording devices in school bathrooms, Teen last seen at mall is missing, Newington police say, Journal Sentinel reporters recognized nationally for coverage of health issues, Boys basketball roundup: Teddy Williams' double-double helps Grand Ledge top Eastern, Biden administration urges Congress to renew warrantless surveillance law. Family and friends set up a donation drive to assist the Rackleys with medical expenses and funds to help them find a new home. Annistyn, a third-grader who loved swimming, dancing and cheerleading, was among dozens of people who died because of the severe storm on Friday, Dec. 10. And I texted her and said, 'The sirens are going off.' Her father, Trey Rackley, a 37-year-old trucking company dispatcher, suffered cuts and bruises and remains sore and sometimes in shock, Hooker said. All rights reserved. Annistyn also attended the same elementary school where her mom and Hooker teach. Trey and Meghan Rackley and their three daughters sought shelter in a windowless bathroom in their southeast Missouri home as storms raged across the middle of the country. Meghan is currently in rehab in Cape Girardeau. Ms Hooker said Meghan Rackleys injuries included broken bones, a brain injury and a large cut, and shes asking people to pray for the 32-year-old mother. A heartbreaking photo shows a young girl sheltering in a bathtub with her sisters moments before she was killed by a tornado as devastating storms ripped across The little girls' eyes were just absolutely matted together with mud.". And she didn't act like she was disabled or handicapped in any way. Trey and Meghan Rackley and their three daughters sought shelter in a windowless bathroom in their southeast Missouri home as storms raged across the country's midsection. Both the strong storms and heavy rain will likely move out by noon Monday, the NBC 5 Storm Team says. But she said Annistyn still was full of energy and delighted in donning outfits and makeup for cheer competitions and learning new dances from TikTok. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. "Her car was moved probably 30, 40 feet from where it was and turned around. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. Annistyn's father, Trey Rackley, suffered cuts and bruises. "Her stomach was distended, and they were looking to make sure that she didn't have some kind of belly bleed," Hooker says. After Ava reached a hospital in Memphis, Hooker said, she learned from family there that the young girl had told doctors and nurses, "I was flying around in the tornado and I prayed to Jesus to take care of me, and he spit me out and the tornado spit me out into the mud.". The familys home was destroyed as they were carried into the air by the twister, landing in a field where Amid Meghan's fight, the family is keeping vigil while they and their community make plans for Annistyn's funeral. The Caruthersville community held a service Sunday to honor Annistyn Rackley and keep her family in their thoughts. She was the strongest kid.". But update shortly after that indicated that "the severe weather threat appears to be diminishing. But he and the youngest daughter, 3-year-old Alanna Little Lani are no longer hospitalized. While some winds are expected to remain Tuesday, the day will shape up to be much more comfortable and peaceful, with partly sunny skies and high temperatures in the low 50s. Those included one in far western Joliet and one on the far north side of Naperville. "And Meghan was over the tub on the two older girls. She did cartwheels and splits in front of Hooker. At a young age, she was diagnosed with a rare liver disease that required repeated hospital stays. I would just gasp because she could do the splits all the time, and she would just laugh, Ms Hooker said. Ava, 7, had broken vertebrae in her back and is expected to undergo spinal surgery Wednesday. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Annistyn Rackley, 9, poses for a picture while attending a cheerleading competition in Arizona. According to forecast models, the chance for such weather will be the highest south of the Kankakee River, and along and south of Interstate 80, forecast models show. The other family members were injured, but survived. Theres debris strewn forever out in the field, and so they were sucked up into the tornado.. Gov. "And God can give us a miracle with Meghan.". WebCopyright 2005, Towers Productions, Inc./The Weather Channel/Litton EntertainmentOriginally aired on August 25, 2005 on The Weather Channel. In this photo taken Dec. 10 photo provided by Sandra Hooker, Avalinn Rackley, 7, left, Alanna Rackley, 3, and Annistyn Rackley, 9, pose for a picture in a bathroom in their home near Caruthersville, Missouri. Sandra Hooker shares a photo of Annistyn Rackley taken minutes before she was killed in storm. "In spite of everything, she was just always so brave, just you would never know, she was always smiling. Hooker said Annistyn's parents learned when she was 2 months old that she had a rare liver disorder in which bile ducts don't develop properly, sometimes making it hard to fight off illness. Hooker reflected on the 9-year-old's perseverance in her young life, following a diagnosis of a rare live disease. On the right, the Rackley family poses for a picture while on a trip to Sedona, Arizona. Hookers account of what happened to the Rackleys came from talking to law enforcement and first responders who were at the scene after the tornado and found family members in the field. We need continued prayers for Meghans improvement and getting her settled in a new normal when she gets to come home.. "She was just that giving, caring young girl and all of that has been robbed from her," Sandra Hooker, Annisytn's great aunt, told ABC24 Memphis Tuesday afternoon. When Annistyn Rackley was born with a rare liver disease that required major surgery at just 2 months old, small-town Caruthersville, Missouri hard against the Mississippi River in the rural southeast corner of the state poured out its heart to raise funds for the family's medical expenses. "But I do believe a miracles. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/jjEInxieGQ. And her grandmother assured her that she was not gonna die," continues Hooker. The family member is grateful for her community's emotional and financial support to date, as they pray the mother and elementary school teacher pulls through. Designed by, INVERSORES! Hooker said Meghan Rackley's injuries included broken bones, a brain injury and a large cut, and she's asking people to pray for the 32-year-old mother. 0:00. Ms Hooker said that Annistyns family hadnt yet unpacked from their 4 December move from Caruthersville to their new home along Highway J, just west of the city. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The entire Rackley family took refuge in their bathroom before a tornado - one of more than 30 storms that ravaged through five states - launched them into the sky Avalinn's older sister, Annistyn, 9, died in the disaster and mother Meghan, 32, suffered sever brain trauma Several hours later, the Tornado watches and warnings were issued. ", "And then as she recovered, she said, 'Am I gonna die?' And while the NWS earlier Monday said the threat of severe weather was "diminishing," a a slew of tornado watches and warnings were issued throughout the 10 a.m. hour. All rights reserved. And that would be the safest place. "There's debris strewn forever out in the field, and so they were sucked up into the tornado.". MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Missouri family took a direct hit from the tornado on Dec. 10. Her husband and three daughters were thrown from the home, killing one of the children . "She loved dancing.". 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