After deadly twisters and violent weather rampaged through southern states, Ruth Bennett was found clutching the last toddler left at her Mississippi daycare center after the tornado ripped the building off its foundation. The four year old, who had been enrolled at Bennett’s daycare since she was a baby, was the last one left to be picked up.
Upon discovering the daycare teacher’s body with the toddler secured, a fire fighter gently removed the child from her arms. The condition of the child is unreported.
During the two day outbreak of severe weather, from Iowa to Tennessee, the death toll continues to rise. Bennett, 53, was amongst 33 people killed.
“It makes you just take a breath now,” said next-door neighbor Kenneth Billingsley, who witnessed the scene at what was left of Ruth’s Child Care Center. “It makes you pay attention to life.” The town had a population of 6,600.
Approximately 11 tornadoes, including one that killed 15 people in Arkansas, slammed the nation’s midsection on Sunday. According to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, at least 25 ravaged the south on Monday.
“We’re just trying to keep a smile on our faces,” said Jackie Ivy, an employee. “I cried all last night.”