Nashville, Arkansas, Couple Dies Shielding Daughter from Tornado

Sean Breslin
Published: May 11,2015



 

As an EF2 tornado bore down on their home Sunday night in Nashville, Arkansas, Michael and Melissa Mooneyhan had just one concern: keeping their 18-month-old daughter safe, no matter what.
The couple lost their lives while hunched over the toddler, making the ultimate sacrifice for their child. They were the only two fatalities in the tornado that barreled through the tiny town in southern Arkansas. Their daughter survived unharmed, officials said.
The family was inside a mobile home that flipped over and "exploded" during the storm, Howard County Coroner John Gray told the Associated Press. He also said it's a miracle the little girl survived such a violent storm.
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The bodies of Michael, 28, and Melissa, 29, were found by a search dog shortly after the tornado destroyed several mobile homes in the area, neighbor Steve Daugherty told KSLA.com.
The little girl, whose name has not been released, is now in the custody of relatives.
Two other people in the neighborhood were critically injured by the twister, according to KSLA.com. Six others were treated for minor injuries, the report added.
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