ST. LOUIS, MO — What began as a routine drive home turned into a nightmare for 20-year-old Mya Grimes, a college student at Jackson State University, when she was violently ejected from her car during a powerful EF3 tornado — all while on the phone with her mother.
The terrifying ordeal unfolded on May 16, 2025, as Mya was making the nearly six-hour drive from her university in Mississippi back to her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. As dark clouds gathered and the weather quickly turned dangerous, Mya did what many children instinctively do — she called her mom.
“I was already nervous, and I just needed to hear her voice,” Mya recounted days later from her hospital bed. “I told her the weather was getting bad and that I couldn’t see much ahead of me.”
“It’s Taking Me” — A Mother’s Worst Fear
Tina Grimes, Mya’s mother, answered the call not knowing that within minutes, she would hear the most chilling words a parent can hear. As Mya tried to keep control of her car, she suddenly cried out, “Mom, it’s taking me!”
Those were the last words Tina heard before the line went silent.
At that exact moment, Mya’s car was caught in the 152-mph winds of the tornado as it tore through parts of Clayton and northern St. Louis. Despite being restrained by her seatbelt, the incredible force of the wind shattered her windows, ripped open the driver’s side door, and ejected her from the vehicle. She was thrown nearly 40 yards down the street.
“I don’t remember flying,” Mya said. “I just remember everything going black, and then I was on the ground.”
Miraculously, she regained consciousness and managed to crawl toward a nearby light pole, clinging to it until help arrived. Her body was covered in cuts from shattered glass, and she suffered scrapes, bruises, and a dislocated shoulder — but no life-threatening injuries.
“She Shouldn’t Be Alive”
First responders who arrived on the scene were astonished to find Mya alive and alert.
“She absolutely should not have survived that,” said one paramedic. “When we found her, she was sitting up, bloodied but breathing. It’s a miracle.”
Her car, found mangled beyond recognition, had been hurled off the road by the tornado. Mya’s survival was made even more remarkable by the fact that she was thrown from the vehicle — something that usually proves fatal in such violent conditions.
Doctors believe her being ejected may have saved her life, as the crumpled car would have offered little protection had she remained inside.
A Storm That Left Its Mark
The EF3 tornado that struck that day left a trail of destruction through Missouri. Homes were leveled, trees uprooted, and vehicles tossed like toys. The National Weather Service reported wind speeds up to 152 mph and classified the event as one of the most violent storms of the season.
For Mya, the physical injuries will heal, but the emotional trauma lingers.
“Every time I close my eyes, I hear the wind, the glass breaking… and my mom’s voice,” she said.
Her mother, who rushed to the hospital as soon as she learned her daughter was alive, is still shaken.
“When I heard her say, ‘It’s taking me,’ I thought that was the last time I’d ever hear her voice,” Tina said, fighting back tears. “She’s my miracle.”
A Message of Gratitude — and a Warning
Now recovering, Mya is using her experience to raise awareness about tornado preparedness and the importance of acting quickly when warnings are issued.
“I saw the alert on my phone, but I didn’t think it would hit me,” she said. “If you get a warning, don’t take it lightly. Get somewhere safe — fast.”
Mya says she feels like she’s been given a second chance at life. “I’m grateful to be here. I don’t know why I survived when so many others in storms like this don’t, but I’m going to make it count.”
Tornado Safety Tips from the National Weather Service:
- Always monitor local weather alerts during severe weather season.
- If a tornado warning is issued, seek shelter immediately — preferably in a basement or interior room on the lowest floor.
- Never try to outrun a tornado in a vehicle.
- Keep an emergency kit in your car and home, including a flashlight, water, and a portable phone charger.