'Till the Storm Passes By

It seems that there are always some very unusual stories when big storms hit:

One prayed to God under a communion table as his church was blown to pieces around him.

Another was on the phone with a meteorologist when the tornado threw him against a cinderblock wall that held just long enough to save his life. A coroner nearly became a victim himself when the twister flipped his truck four times; later he went out in his hospital gown to help identify bodies.

At least 10 people were killed when the tornado ripped through the rural Mississippi countryside and two deaths in Alabama have been blamed on storms there. It's the stories told by survivors on Sunday that show how much higher the toll could have been.

Dale Thrasher, 60, had been alone in Hillcrest Baptist Church when the tornado hit Saturday, ripping away wood and metal until all that was left was rubble, Thrasher and the table he had climbed under as he prayed for protection.

"The whole building caved in," he said. "But me and that table were still there."

Sunday was sunny and breezy as Thrasher and other members of the Yazoo City church dug through the debris and pulled out a few chairs and other items. One found a hymnal opened to the song, "Till the Storm Passes By."

Great song.  If you're not familiar with it, you can hear Vestel Goodman sing it here.

The boys from TornadoVideos.net were on scene and recording the storm and aftermath. I'm sure more footage will make it to Storm Chasers this fall: