Tyler, Texas, May 1, 2017 / 13:57 pm
On Saturday night, parishioners of St. John the Evangelist church in Emory, Texas received the horrifying news that a tornado was heading in the direction of their church.
Immediately, the parishioners found the safest spot they could – the hallway in between their parish hall and the main church.
"About 30 seconds after we went into the hallway, it hit," said youth minister Monica Hughes, according to CNN. "Everybody dropped to the floor and protected one another."
The hallway was the refuge for about 45 parishioners, which included toddlers and students of St. John the Evangelist. Hughes and her husband fought against the strong wind to hold the hallway doors shut before the tornado hit – all while watching their church being torn apart by the storm.