Hooker said that Annistyn Rackleys family hadnt yet unpacked from their move Dec. 4 from Caruthersville to their new home along Highway J, just west of the city. That tornado just spit me out and threw me in the ground, in the mud.'". Although widespread rain is expected to come to an end around noon, some isolated showers are possible in the afternoon. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Hooker reflected on the 9-year-old's perseverance in her young life, following a diagnosis of a rare live disease. or redistributed. There's some good news, though: temperatures are expected to be nearly 15 degrees above average, with highs in the 50s. She said she bonded with Annistyn during doctors visits and blood draws and said the girl liked to draw with chalk on the cement of her carport. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. See the damage of the tornado that tore through Kentucky and other states, Kentucky tornado survivors share stories of their terrifying experience, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Ms Hooker said Annistyns parents learned when she was two months old that she had a rare liver disorder in which bile ducts dont develop properly, sometimes making it hard to fight off illness. And it was like the house 'popped. "Maybe she won't be forgotten too quickly," she says. Annistyn Rackley was photographed clutching a doll while huddled next to her sister in the family's bathtub while her other sister kneeled in front of them. And I texted her and said, 'The sirens are going off.' Her husband and three daughters were thrown from the home, killing one of the children . 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. Annistyn also attended the same elementary school where her mom and Ms Hooker teach. Several hours later, the Tornado watches and warnings were issued. "I would just gasp because she could do the splits all the time, and she would just laugh," Hooker said. 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. A candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, and an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois, were hit. Amid Meghan's fight, the family is keeping vigil while they and their community make plans for Annistyn's funeral. "There are no words. 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. She said she talked to the girls mother, Meghan Rackley, on Friday afternoon about the possibility of bad storms. 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, 9-year-old Annistyn holding her favorite doll. But whatever happens we know that God's will will be done," Hooker added. The other family members were injured, but survived. Girl sheltering with family killed in tornado. AMAZON EMPLOYEE ALMOST PICKED UP SHIFT BEFORE TORNADO STRUCK WAREHOUSE, KILLING CO-WORKERS. "She was the best kid. or redistributed. December 13, 2021, 9:16 PM. (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.. Her father, Trey Rackley, a 37-year-old trucking company dispatcher, suffered cuts and bruises and remains sore and sometimes in shock, Ms Hooker 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. Ava, 7, had broken vertebrae in her back and is expected to undergo spinal surgery Wednesday. 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. Tornado victims include granddad who 'stole the show', Tornado-slammed parts of Kentucky face long recovery, Storm victims include Missouri girl, aunt's 'special angel', Kentucky tornado - latest: Death toll hits 88 amid claims workers were threatened with firing as storm neared. ", [6:00 AM 2/27] The severe weather threat appears to be diminishing, although gusty winds in stronger showers will be possible this morning. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Gov Mike Parson s office said that about 30,000 Missouri residents initially were without power. 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 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. Ms Hooker also said she talked to the girls father. Those included one in far western Joliet and one on the far north side of Naperville. All rights reserved. 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. And she texted back and she said, 'I'm in the bathroom.' Ms 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. And her grandmother assured her that she was not gonna die," continues Hooker. Annistyn, a third-grader who loved swimming, dancing and cheerleading, died, one of dozens killed in five states. Ava was still in pediatric intensive care as of Monday afternoon. St. Charles County, Missouri police warning looters that trespassing and theft will result in prosecution as recovery efforts continue. 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. However, wind gusts near 40 miles per hour are likely to make things feel colder. With your steadfast spirit, and the unwavering strength and support of your wonderful family and many friends, your future potential is limitless.. Annistyn, a third-grader who loved swimming, dancing and cheerleading, was among dozens of people who died because of the severe storm on Friday. However, that watch soon turned into a warning across Jasper, Newton, Porter and LaPorte counties. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Annistyn was among dozens of people who died in tornadoes on Friday. (Summer Alexander/Meghan Rackley/Courtesy of Sandra Hooker via AP). Sandra Hooker was texting with her niece Meghan about the tornado sirens going off in town when she last spoke with her. The roof is gone from Don Rackley's home, and on Tuesday evening, rain was falling directly into his house. "In spite of everything, she was just always so brave, just you would never know, she was always smiling. Hooker is the sister of Meghan Rackleys grandmother, and she said she and Annistyn, or Anni, grew close over the past four years. ", "Anni was a miracle," she says. (Stephanie Greenwell) The loss, it is exponential, Mandi Alexander, a long-time friend of Meghan Rackleys, said. 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. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/jjEInxieGQ. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. The familys home was destroyed as they were carried into the air by the twister, landing in a field where Hooker also said she talked to the girls father. Hooker added that she would often call Annistyn an "angel among us.". More shocking was a trailer which had been parked 1:41. The National Weather Service later confirmed two "brief tornadoes" touched down in two Chicago suburbs during the storms. '", "They knew that this was gonna come," says Hooker. We celebrate our miracle, Meghan doing so well, when originally we didnt even know if she would ever wake up, Meghans mother, Pamela Proctor Moore, told KAIT8s Chris Carter. "We are believing for a miracle, so we are going to say that we are optimistic that she will pull through. "They had abrasions and scrapes, bruises, lacerations, little cuts. All rights reserved. Legal Statement. And she didn't act like she was disabled or handicapped in any way. Hooker said that Annistyn Rackleys family hadnt yet unpacked from their move Dec. 4 from Caruthersville to their new home along Highway J, just west of the city. '", Trey told her that the chaos sounded like a loud train, "and then he was up in the air, and trying to hold Lani. "Then she said, 'Then I'll have to be the big sister to Lani.'". "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. 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.. Lani, the youngest, was released from the hospital Sunday, but still with hairline fractures in her vertebrae, Hooker says. ", "And then as she recovered, she said, 'Am I gonna die?' An extended Missouri family is grieving, after a tornado ripped through their home this weekend, claiming a young life and changed the lives of the survivors forever. ", "There's very little left," she explains. Sandra Hooker shares a photo of Annistyn Rackley taken minutes before she was killed in storm. The photo was taken by their mother, Meghan Rackley. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. Annistyn, a third-grader who loved swimming, dancing and cheerleading, was among dozens of people who died because of the severe storm on Friday. She said she talked to the girl's mother, Meghan Rackley, on Friday afternoon about the possibility of bad storms. Annistyn, a third-grader who loved swimming, dancing and cheerleading, died, one of dozens killed in five states. "There was a lot of loud, loud noises and banging," Rackley recalled on what he felt and heard Friday night, minutes before the tornado made a direct hit on their home. So God gave us a miracle with Anni. She loved life and loved people," Hooker added. Annistyn Rackley, 9, poses for a picture while attending a cheerleading competition in Arizona. Her father, Trey Rackley, a 37-year-old trucking company dispatcher, suffered cuts and bruises and remains sore and sometimes in shock, Hooker said. The Caruthersville community held a service Sunday to honor Annistyn Rackley and keep her family in their thoughts. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. A candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, and an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois, were hit. 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. I would just gasp because she could do the splits all the time, and she would just laugh, Hooker said. 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. "Where I felt like I was losing the grip on her and I let my phone go and I grabbed her and pulled her back in, and next thing I know we were dropped in a field," Rackley said. The front door was in a tree behind the house. On the right, the Rackley family poses for a picture while on a trip to Sedona, Arizona. 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 that Annistyn Rackleys family hadnt yet unpacked from their move Dec. 4 from Caruthersville to their new home along Highway J, just west of the city. "We've talked about it several times," Hooker says. Copyright 2023 ec Estudio Integral. 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 their nine-year-old daughter, Annistyn, did not survive. Seven-year-old Avalinn told doctors she flew around in the tornado, Hooker said. 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. The middle child, Avalinn, or Ava, had broken vertebrae in her back and was expected to undergo surgery Wednesday, Hooker said. Example video title will go here for this video. According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, steady, heavy rain is expected to continue developing throughout the morning, impacting roads and highways as commuters make their way to work. 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. She did cartwheels and splits in front of Hooker. Annistyn Rackley, 9, poses for a picture while attending a cheerleading competition in Arizona. They had splinters in their skin. The middle child, Avalinn, or Ava, had broken vertebrae in her back and was expected to undergo surgery Wednesday, Ms Hooker said. She did cartwheels and splits in front of Hooker. They brought Baby MawMaw to me, and Im cleaning her up so that Ava can have Baby MawMaw, she said. ", "I believe she was an angel walking among us, because she was so kind and sweet and loving and caring, not just to me, but to everyone," she says. 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. 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. She was the strongest kid. WebCopyright 2005, Towers Productions, Inc./The Weather Channel/Litton EntertainmentOriginally aired on August 25, 2005 on The Weather Channel. (Meghan Rackley/Courtesy of Sandra Hooker via AP), Memphis LGBTQ+ activists protest Gov. Annistyn Rackley, 9, poses for a picture while attending a cheerleading competition in Arizona. Rackleys middle daughter, Ava, was seriously injured in the storm and had to undergo several spinal surgeries. 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