As a powerful EF-3 tornado ripped through a Saint Louis street in May, a 20-year-old college student was thrown from her car and left clinging to a light post—but miraculously walked away with only minor injuries.
Mya Grimes, a student driving home from Jackson, Mississippi, was caught in a violent tornado on May 16, survived being ejected from her vehicle, and later credited her survival to divine intervention, CBN reported.
Grimes had been on the phone with her father while making the long drive home to Saint Louis when the sky began to darken unexpectedly. Concerned by the looming storm, she stayed on the call as the situation quickly worsened. Within a minute, trees around her started plummeting onto the road.
As she approached Union Street, the danger intensified. Trees were falling on both sides, and she faced a difficult decision while driving—veer into incoming traffic or risk being struck by an oak tree. She chose a third option, trying to drive over one of the trees to escape the danger.
Moments later, her car lost control and began spinning wildly. Rain started to pour heavily, and hail pelted her vehicle as it was violently swept into the storm. Grimes recounted that her windows shattered as she gripped the steering wheel and cried out for help.
Amid the chaos, Grimes said she prepared herself for what she feared might be her final moments. Her vehicle was overcome by the elements, and she was thrown from the driver’s side door. She landed roughly 40 yards away, sliding in the rain along debris-strewn pavement.
Despite the trauma of being ejected, which could have caused far more serious injuries, she suffered only minor cuts and bruises. Once the storm passed, she spotted a nearby ambulance and waved for assistance. Emergency responders helped her receive immediate care.
Grimes later appeared on CBN’s Prayerlink to share her experience and discuss her faith. Speaking about the moment the trees began to fall, she recalled yelling to her father through the phone as she was gripped with fear. Her voice rising, she remembered screaming that the trees were collapsing around her car.
During her interview, Grimes explained how close she felt to death while inside the swirling storm. She said the noise of hail and shattering glass was overwhelming as her car broke apart. Believing those could be her final moments, she prayed urgently for protection and peace.
Her survival, she said, felt nothing short of a miracle. The fact that she endured the storm with only minor injuries strengthened her Christian faith even further. She described the event as a spiritual turning point in her life, profoundly altering how she viewed her relationship with God and the world around her.
“The plans that we have for ourselves are not always the plans that God has for us,” she said, emphasizing that her experience transformed how she prioritized her faith in daily life. She urged others, particularly young people, to reevaluate the importance of spiritual connection.
Grimes later shared her story on social platforms to raise awareness among peers about faith and preparedness. She explained that many people her age grapple with questions about spirituality, and she hoped her survival could serve as proof that divine help is real and life can change in an instant.
“Get right with God, because life is so uncertain,” she said, addressing those who might feel distant from faith. Her posts quickly gained attention, with many commending her for courage and honesty. Through vulnerability, she hoped to inspire young audiences to reconsider their beliefs.
She reiterated that her experience was more than a near-death encounter—it was a wake-up call about life’s unpredictability. Her story, now shared widely, continues to reach others with what she calls an urgent message of hope and renewal.
Though she is still healing emotionally from the incident, she views the event as part of a larger purpose. Grimes believes that what happened on Union Street on May 16 was meant not just to change her life, but to touch others as well. Her resilience, she hopes, will serve as evidence of faith in action.
Authorities later confirmed the tornado was an EF-3, a classification known for wind speeds ranging from 136 to 165 mph. Such storms are capable of severe destruction, making her outcome all the more remarkable. Survivors of EF-3 events typically report far more extensive injuries or worse.
For Grimes, the road home that day didn't end where she expected, but the experience deepened her commitment to helping others who may be struggling with fear, doubt, or indecision. While the storm battered her environment, her core beliefs only grew stronger.
