In this undated photo provided by Sandra Hooker, the Rackley family poses for a picture while on a trip to Sedona, Arizona. In this photo provided by Sandra Hooker, from left, Avalinn Rackley, 7, Alanna Rackley, 3, and Annistyn Rackley, 9, pose for a picture in a bathroom in their home near Caruthersville, Missouri. "About 7:23, I texted Meghan and I told her, 'The storms are about 15 minutes away. 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. "And Meghan was over the tub on the two older girls. She loved dancing.. ", Hooker recalls Ava asking her grandmother, 'Where's Anni? You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. A miracle recovery: Mother severely hurt in Decembers tornado released from hospital, Police investigating after student brings gun to school, NEA fares well at 5A State Swimming Championships, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: Marmaduke girls beat Rison in 1st Round, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: Bay boys beat Dierks in 1st Round, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: Rector boys beat Acorn in 1st Round, 2023 2A State Basketball Tournament: Earle boys beat Junction City in 1st Round. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. But he gets up and powers through it, and is hunting in the mud for his family. or redistributed. According to the NWS, quarter-sized hail is also possible in those areas. She did cartwheels and splits in front of Hooker. West of St. Louis, 84-year-old Ollie Borgmann, described as a sweet and typical grandmother, died at a hospital after a tornado on Friday blew the Defiance, Missouri, home she shared with her 84-year-old husband, Vernon, off its foundation. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 1:41. From left, Annistyn Rackley with sisters Avalinn and Lani. However, wind gusts near 40 miles per hour are likely to make things feel colder. Girl sheltering with family killed in tornado. Mike Parsons office said that about 30,000 Missouri residents initially were without power. "He immediately got up and started trying to find his family, because there's not a better daddy in this world, not a better husband, even though he has a broken vertebrae and a broken rib and all these cuts and abrasions and things on his body," Hooker says. To prove they were in their safe space with the storm approaching Friday evening, the girls mom texted her Aunt Sandy a photo of the three in and next to the bathtub all of them smiling, with 9-year-old Annistyn holding her favorite doll. But their nine-year-old daughter, Annistyn, did not survive. ", "That Friday afternoon, everything had been canceled Christmas parties, ball games because we were expecting the bad weather," continues Hooker. Hooker called Annistyn Rackley a "special angel," recalling the girl as outgoing and energetic despite a rare liver condition that required regular doctors visits. Trey was released morning after the storm. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Missouri family took a direct hit from the tornado on Dec. 10. Hooker teaches gifted students at the same elementary school where Meghan Rackley teaches kindergarten in Caruthersville, which is nestled next to the Mississippi River in whats known as Missouris Bootheel region. Here's why. In Pemiscot County in southeastern Missouri, bordering Arkansas and Kentucky, where the Rackleys live, the sheriffs office did not immediately return telephone messages Monday seeking comment about the storm that destroyed the Rackleys home. A candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, and an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois, were hit. 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. And she sent me a Snapchat picture of the girls in the bathtub. 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. "And he's been shaken terribly from the tornado. Now the community of 6,000 is rallying for the Rackleys again this time with prayer, as a tornado spawned by a wave of storms that left destruction and death across six states Friday night killed the 9-year-old and left her mother, Meghan, a kindergarten teacher, unresponsive in the hospital with multiple broken bones and a traumatic brain injury. Hooker said it was Annistyns favorite, and she called it Baby MawMaw. Hooker said it was Annistyns favorite, and she called it Baby MawMaw. Just before 10 a.m., a Tornado warning was issued for central DuPage County, "with a thunderstorm capable of producing a brief spin-up tornado over Warrenville and Naperville.". 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). "Her stomach was distended, and they were looking to make sure that she didn't have some kind of belly bleed," Hooker says. ", "There's very little left," she explains. On Monday night, after family members who picked through the debris of the Rackley home found the torn front page of Annistyn's Bible engraved with her name, along with a doll she especially treasured, a Pemiscot County Sheriff's deputy knocked on Hooker's door. Hooker said Annistyns parents learned when she was 2 months old that she had a rare liver disorder in which bile ducts dont develop properly, sometimes making it hard to fight off illness. Nikolas Lanum is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. 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. "And she did," Hooker tells PEOPLE, "right up till the tornado killed her. EYEWITNESS TO DEADLY KENTUCKY TORNADO DISCUSSES STATE OF COMMUNITY: WE LOST OUR HISTORY. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. They brought Baby MawMaw to me, and Im cleaning her up so that Ava can have Baby MawMaw, she said. 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. Hooker described Annistyn as an outgoing, loving, and creative young girl that loved dancing and cheerleading. (KAIT) The family of a woman severely hurt when deadly tornadoes hit the town of Braggadocio said the young mother is out of the hospital, describing her recovery as a miracle.. At a young age, she was diagnosed with a rare liver disease that required repeated hospital stays. (Meghan Rackley/Courtesy of Sandra Hooker via AP). The other family members were injured, but survived. They had splinters in their skin. Hooker said that Annistyn Rackley's family hadn't yet unpacked from their move Dec. 4 from Caruthersville to their new home along Highway J, just west of the city. 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. A tornado hit her home and splintered it less than a week after the family had moved in, and, according to the relative who received the photo of the girl in the bathtub, it carried family members dozens of yards before dropping them in a muddy field. The photo was taken by their mother, Meghan Rackley. "They brought Baby MawMaw to me, and Im cleaning her up so that Ava can have Baby MawMaw," she said. Family and friends set up a donation drive to assist the Rackleys with medical expenses and funds to help them find a new home. They brought Baby MawMaw to me, and Im cleaning her up so that Ava can have Baby MawMaw, she said. Hooker said it was Annistyn's favorite, and she called it Baby MawMaw. Hooker is the sister of Meghan Rackley's grandmother, and she said she and Annistyn, or Anni, grew close over the past four years. "And God can give us a miracle with Meghan.". 7-year-old Avalinn Rackley broke her vertebrae in the same storm that destroyed her family home and took the life of her older sister.. After a successful surgery on Wednesday, Hooker said that the girls mother is "fighting for her life" and unresponsive in the hospital after sustaining severe brain trauma, broken bones, and deep lacerations. And he said he could hear it coming. (Summer Alexander/Meghan Rackley/Courtesy of Sandra Hooker via AP), Aunt shares tragic story of 9-year-old Missouri girl killed by tornado as mom fights for her life. Hooker called Annistyn Rackley a special angel, recalling the girl as outgoing and energetic despite a rare liver condition that required regular doctors visits. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. The front door was in a tree behind the house. In this Dec. 10, 2021, photo provided by Sandra Hooker, from left, Avalinn Rackley, 7, Alanna Rackley, 3, and Annistyn Rackley, 9, pose for a picture in a bathroom in their home near Caruthersville, Missouri. They brought Baby MawMaw to me, and Im cleaning her up so that Ava can have Baby MawMaw, she said. The other family members were injured, but survived. "I would just gasp because she could do the splits all the time, and she would just laugh," Hooker said. "I was flying around in that tornado," said Avalinn Rackley, 7, whose 9-year-old sister Annistyn was killed near Caruthersville. "I prayed to Jesus to take care of me." The roof is gone from Don Rackley's home, and on Tuesday evening, rain was falling directly into his house. 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. Trey and Meghan Rackley and their three daughters sought shelter in a windowless bathroom in their southeast Missouri Market data provided by Factset. COMPLEJO DE 4 DEPARTAMENTOS CON POSIBILIDAD DE RENTA ANUAL, HERMOSA PROPIEDAD A LA VENTA EN PLAYAS DE ORO, CON EXCELENTE VISTA, CASA CON AMPLIO PARQUE Y PILETA A 4 CUADRAS DE RUTA 38, COMPLEJO TURISTICO EN Va. CARLOS PAZ. Market data provided by Factset. Although much of the area will see rain, thunder, lightning and gusty winds, other parts will see stronger storms with damaging winds up to 60 miles per hour, the NBC 5 Storm Team says. Family of Missouri Tornado Victim Annistyn Rackley Pays Tribute Human Interest Younger Sibling of 9-Year-Old Missouri Tornado Victim: Now 'I'll Have to Be the Amid Meghan's fight, the family is keeping vigil while they and their community make plans for Annistyn's funeral. West of St Louis, 84-year-old Ollie Borgmann, described as a sweet and typical grandmother, died at a hospital after a tornado on Friday blew the Defiance, Missouri home she shared with her 84-year-old husband, Vernon, off its foundation. WebCopyright 2005, Towers Productions, Inc./The Weather Channel/Litton EntertainmentOriginally aired on August 25, 2005 on The Weather Channel. Hooker teaches gifted students at the same elementary school where Meghan Rackley teaches kindergarten in Caruthersville, which is nestled next to the Mississippi River in what's known as Missouri's Bootheel region. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. can you take me to see Anni? Meghan Rackley was hospitalized for several weeks after the Dec. 10 tornado hit her 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 she didn't act like she was disabled or handicapped in any way. Annistyn, a third-grader who loved swimming, dancing and cheerleading, died, one of dozens killed in five states. Sandra Hooker was texting with her niece Meghan about the tornado sirens going off in town when she last spoke with her. And so they were readythey thought," said Hooker during an appearance on "Fox & Friends" with Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Lawrence Jones. "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. Trey's Jeep was probably a hundred yards from the house where it had been parked. 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. Her husband and three daughters were thrown from the home, killing one of the children. The rain will subside in the evening, when the focus will shift to the wind, the NBC 5 Storm Team says, with strong gusts expected across most of the region. She said she talked to the girls mother, Meghan Rackley, on Friday afternoon about the possibility of bad storms. Hooker called Annistyn Rackley a special angel, recalling the girl as outgoing and energetic despite a rare liver condition that required regular doctors visits. 0:00. Theres debris strewn forever out in the field, and so they were sucked up into the tornado., 'It's devastating':See the damage of the tornado that tore through Kentucky and other states, Nation:Kentucky tornado survivors share stories of their terrifying experience. 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