ST. LOUIS – Victoria Cooper and her son survived a tornado with minor injuries after their car was picked up and slammed into a fence in north St. Louis.
The incident occurred during a tornado that swept through north St. Louis City, causing trauma and stress for many residents. Despite the near-death experience, Victoria Cooper returned to the scene to support her community.
“I braced myself and I told my son, hey, we are about to get hit by this tornado so brace yourself,” Cooper said, recounting the moments before the tornado struck.
Cooper’s car was swept up by the tornado and slammed into a fence at Natural Bridge and Newstead, but she and her son managed to crawl out through the windshield with only scratches and minor injuries. “But god yall I walked away, me and my son, minor injuries, but god,” Cooper expressed.
Feeling blessed after surviving the ordeal, Cooper immediately returned to the scene in north St. Louis to help her community. She set up at the site where her car was totaled, offering Gatorade and water to those in need.
“The mission is for us to come together and stay together. I believe that this tornado, it had to happen for us to finally realize that it’s time,” Victoria said, emphasizing the importance of community unity.
Many people joined Cooper at the scene, bringing food and drinks and offering support to those affected by the tornado. “Very proud. Proud is an understatement. I’m overjoyed just to see all the love,” Cooper shared.
Cooper encouraged those struggling to pray and ask for what they need, believing that God will deliver. “Pray. Ask God for whatever you need, and he will deliver,” she advised.
Cooper’s experience and her subsequent efforts to support her community highlight the resilience and unity in the aftermath of the tornado. Cooper’s message of faith and togetherness resonates with those affected by the storm.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published.