Meteorologist prays for Mississippi residents in path of tornado while on air: ‘Dear Jesus, please help them’

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A local Mississippi meteorologist invoked the name of Jesus Christ live on air as he watched a deadly tornado approach the town of Amory, Mississippi Friday night.

While reporting on the tornado’s trajectory and seeing it get close to the populated town, WTVA’s Matt Laubhan told viewers to get into their "Tornado safe place."

He then paused and prayed to Christ to keep its resident’s safe. 

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WTVA meteorologist prays to Jesus Christ on air for residents of Amory, Mississippi as a deadly tornado bears down on them. (Screenshot/Twitter)

Laubhan was tracking the deadly tornado Friday night at the NBC-affiliate's news station in Tupelo, Mississippi, as it tore through the state, where it would ultimately kill 23 people. 

The Emmy-award winning meteorologist was glued to his storm tracker screen as he reported the movement of the storm, becoming noticeably perturbed as he realized the tornado was most likely going to veer directly towards Amory.

At the outset of the nearly two-minute-long clip – which has since racked up more than a million views on Twitter – Laubhan pointed out that his radar was showing a "strong tornado here, just east of Amory."

"How far to Amory are we talking about?" he asked as he updated and adjusted his real-time models. 

Upon further observations, he said, "Assuming we’re moving 65 miles per hour, I would say the western few streets in Amory were now less than two minutes away."

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As radar images behind the meteorologist displayed the storm getting closer to the town, Laubhan warned, "This is a strong, life-threatening tornado that’s going to move either extremely close to Amory, or in through the northern part of the city of Amory."

He then offered his viewers a disclaimer that he could be wrong about his prediction: "Y’all trust me too much. I tell you where it goes and some of you are like, ‘That’s where it’s going to go.’ But the reality is, this could be changing directions."

Either way, he advised viewers in Amory, "We need to be in our tornado safe place."

Upon seeing a new scan, Laubhan grew tense. The tornado appeared to be moving directly toward the town. He said, "We got a new scan coming in as we speak. Oh man, like north side of Amory this is coming in."

Growing more emotional, he again said, "Oh man," and bent over his instruments, letting out a heavy sigh. 

At that moment he then turned to the Almighty, saying, "Dear Jesus, please help them. Amen." 

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After the brief prayer, Laubhan returned to his play-by-play of the tornado's trajectory, noting that it was about to cross "the Highway 6 bridge within the next 20 seconds or so."