As violent tornadoes tore across Mississippi on Wednesday night, leveling homes and ripping apart buildings, members of a small church in Purvis huddled together in prayer and sang Amazing Grace while a tornado tore through their church, according to a report by AccuWeather.
At least 17 people were injured after more than a dozen tornadoes were reported across Mississippi, leaving widespread destruction in multiple counties and triggering three tornado emergencies, the most severe type of tornado warning.
One of the hardest-hit locations was Coaltown Baptist Church, where church members had gathered for a meal before the storms intensified.
Pastor Jimmy Breazeale said tornado sirens began sounding as members of the congregation were finishing dinner, prompting everyone to move into a hallway behind the sanctuary for shelter.
“They were actually singing ‘Amazing Grace,’” Breazeale said.
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The pastor said the congregation sang and prayed together to comfort one another as the tornado closed in on the building.
“One man looked outside, and he said, ‘It’s coming,’” Breazeale said. “The wall was just moving back and forth.”
The tornado ripped apart portions of the church, destroying the fellowship hall and tearing the steeple from the building before tossing it into the parking lot.
“We didn’t realize it at the time, but the roof was gone,” Breazeale said. “Just total devastation. We were just thankful to God that we were all safe.”
Despite the extensive damage, no one sheltering inside the church was injured.
Gov. Tate Reeves said preliminary assessments showed widespread destruction across the state, particularly in southern Mississippi. In Lamar County alone, officials reported 275 homes damaged, 50 apartment units left inaccessible and 30 roads closed because of debris.
In neighboring Lincoln County, more than 200 homes were impacted, with emergency officials reporting “major damage” and several injuries. Authorities urged residents to stay off the roads as crews worked to clear debris and restore power.
The Cajun Navy deployed emergency resources to affected areas, including a 50-person shelter pod, generators and pallets of supplies, while shelters were opened with support from the American Red Cross.
The National Weather Service confirmed at least seven tornadoes from Wednesday’s outbreak as survey teams continued assessing the damage Thursday. At least three EF3 tornadoes have already been confirmed, including one storm that tracked more than 35 miles across parts of the state.
The storms also unleashed intense lightning activity across the Southeast. According to the AccuWeather Lightning Network, there were 215,695 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes recorded within 24 hours. In Tylertown, at least one home caught fire after being struck by lightning.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
