‘Dear Jesus, please help’: Weatherman prays on air as Mississippi tornado, storms leave 23 dead, 4 missing" title="‘Dear Jesus, please help’: Weatherman prays on air as Mississippi tornado, storms leave 23 dead, 4 missing" onerror="this.src='http://walls-work.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/1200x628-WallsWorkRoundelFeaturedImagePlaceholder2.14.21-01.png'; jQuery(this).removeAttr('srcset');"/>A meteorologist prayed live Friday as tornadoes tore through Mississippi, leaving at least 23 dead.
“Dear Jesus, please help them,” WTVA Chief Meteorologist Matt Laubhan said Friday night as he warned residents of Amory, Mississippi to take shelter immediately.
“Oh man,” the Emmy-winning weather professional said, bowing his head briefly as he offered the prayer.
“We can confirm 23 dead, dozens injured, 4 missing from last night’s tornadoes,” the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported Saturday morning.
“We have numerous local and state search and rescue teams continuing to work this morning. There are several assets on the ground to help those affected,” the agency also reported.
“Unfortunately, these numbers are expected to change,” MSEMA also said of the morning update on rescue efforts and the death toll.
WTVA shared photos of twisted metal, damage to the National Guard Armory in Amory and damage to many other homes, businesses and structures.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) also asked for prayers Friday as storms lashed the Magnolia State.
“Many on the MS Delta need your prayers and God’s protection tonight,” he tweeted, adding that the search and rescue was continuing.
The tornado that touched down around 8 p.m. near the Sharkey County town of Rolling Fork was at least a mile wide and traveled more than 90 miles, WAPT reported.
At least 13 people lost their lives in Sharkey County as a result of the storm, Sharkey County Coroner Angela Easton told ABC News.
Rolling Fork, the county seat of Sharkey County, is located west of the Mississippi. According to the 2020 census, it is home to around 1,883 people in 663 households.
Other Mississippi cities reporting significant damage include Anguilla and Silver Creek.
The storm reportedly claimed at least one life in Monroe County, where Amory is located. Monroe County is located in northeastern Mississippi near the Alabama border
“You trust me too much, okay?” said Laubhan, whose personal Twitter bio reads “JESUS ≥ Family ≥ time.”
“I tell you where it’s going, and some of you say ‘that’s where it’s going’. But the reality is that this could be changing direction.”
Watch Laubhan offer a prayer in the video below as the deadly storm headed toward Amory, Mississippi, a town of about 6,666 people about 27 miles from Tupelo.
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