Miracle Kitten James Emerges Safely After Texas Tornado Flips Over His Home

The mobile home was destroyed, but the little guy is safe and sound.
By Chad Taylor March 24, 2022 Advertisement Pin FB More Tweet Email Send Text Message Print
person holding grey tabby kitten close the chest Credit: Iryna / Adobe Stock

An Elgin, Texas woman received a little bit of good news in the wake of a devastating tornado that overturned her home while her kitten was inside.

Appearing with little warning and striking with ferocious intensity, tornadoes can destroy whole communities in an instant, leaving people to pick up the pieces of shattered lives. After an estimated EF2 tornado—with winds measuring from 113–157 mph—ripped through Elgin on Monday, Kacy Strickland found herself doing just that. Leaving her mobile home during the storm and rushing to a neighbor's house to shelter, Stickland was forced to leave everything behind in her hurry to safety, including her 5-month-old kitten, James, she told AccuWeather.

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The tornado destroyed several homes and businesses in Elgin, and Strickland's mobile home wasn't spared; the storm flipped her home over, leaving a tangled mess in its wake. Viewing the destruction, Strickland feared the worst for poor James. However, almost 24 hours after the storm blew through, James emerged unscathed from the wreckage.

"He's really scared," Strickland told AccuWeather. "This is one of my kids. He's family, you know."

Little James seemed to be unharmed—a miracle given the destruction all around him—but Strickland planned on taking him to the veterinarian for a checkup to be sure. And while Strickland's home was destroyed, having James safe gives her a little bit of comfort in the aftermath. Plus, she has a special place in her heart for the other animals who survived the storms' destructive powers.

"I'm praying for them and their families, too, that went through something like this, so everybody stay strong," Strickland said.

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