Mother is found still cradling her toddler son, 2, after deadly tornadoes ripped through Tennessee killing them both: Floridema Perez and Anthony, along with Arlan Burnham, 10, and father-of two Joseph Dalton are also among six killed by raging storms

A two-year-old child was found in the arms of his now-deceased mother after a horrific tornado that also killed their neighbor at the trailer park where they lived in Tennessee.

Following the storm, neighbors went searching for missing toddler Anthony Elmer Mendez, who they believe was thrown from his home by the EF2 storm, which brought winds of about 125 mph, a neighbor said.

Firefighters eventually found him in the rubble, held in the arms of his mother, 31-year-old Floridama Gabrielle Perez.

Their neighbor, father of two Joseph Dalton, 37, also died in the tornado when his trailer was blown away and crashed onto the home where Perez lived with the father of her two children.

Perez’s partner, her second child, and Dalton’s children were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Authorities previously identified 10-year-old Arlan Burnham as one of those killed in Clarksville, about 50 miles north of Nashville.

Neighbor Wanda McClemore told Channel 5 News she went out looking for the baby on Saturday night when his father said he couldn’t find him.

“We were here listening to the baby and they thought maybe (the baby) had been blown away.”

When he was found, McClemore said first responders told her Perez was still clutching the child.

In an interview with the radio station, Perez’s partner said the family was sleeping when the storm hit.

Another neighbor told WCRN in an interview, she said she was concerned about Dalton and Perez’s trailers during the storm due to their proximity to trees.

“I was praying about the trailers and that trees wouldn’t fall on the trailer, that’s what I was really concerned about, but I didn’t expect the storm to be this bad,” Sue Pryor said.

“We see them all the time, you know, we’re pretty small here, so everyone kind of sees everyone, knows everyone,” she added.

Perez and her son were natives of Guatemala, according to the Facebook post.

Marco Tulio Gabriel Perez came to Nashville from Atlanta after learning that his sister and nephew were killed in a tornado. He said two other children in the family survived with minor injuries.

Family members cried as they viewed the wreckage of the trailers Sunday morning.

“Unfortunately, a tragedy occurred here. Because it’s a tornado, it passed through as you can see here. She lived in this trailer. Another trailer flipped over onto my dead sister. She stayed down, the other trailer was on top,” Marco Perez said.

The names of the other two adults who died in Clarksville have not been released. A total of 83 people were injured as a result of the storm, with 23 being treated at local hospitals.

It was previously reported that Arlan Burnham’s family has been left devastated by the tragic loss of their son and the loss of their entire home in the chaos.

“My beautiful baby Arlan didn’t make it out of the house. Ella was taken to hospital but released with superficial injuries. Archer was with his mother. Our home is no longer there,” the fourth-grader’s mother, Katherine, wrote in a Facebook post.

Katherine posted a heartfelt tribute to her son Arlan on Facebook, describing how their home was “right in the path of the tornado.”

The family’s two-story home collapsed, trapping Arlan and his older sister.

Neighbor Billy Urban rushed to the scene and helped pull the boy and his older sister from the wreckage, but Arlan did not survive the wreckage.

“I owe him so much. He saved our daughter,” said Arlan’s father, Kyle. Clarksville now.

The family encouraged others to show their support through GoFundMe page which was created by his colleagues.

“Please don’t blow up Kat’s phone. She has to repeat this over and over again and it gets tiresome to hear her explain and cry and say thank you,” Kyle wrote in a Facebook post.

Donations have poured in for the family as their page, which had a maximum goal of $5,000, has now raised more than $73,000.

Donations made to the Burnham family will be used to rebuild their home and Arlan’s funeral expenses.

The page said: “Let’s come together as a community to show Kyle Burnham and his family that they are not alone in their struggle.”

“Your generosity will provide them with the strength and resources they need to begin the process of healing and rebuilding their lives after this heartbreaking tragedy.”

In addition to monetary donations, clothing donations have also been requested for the family. Arlan was a fourth grader at West Creek Elementary School.

Further donations can be made to victims through the United Way and the Community Foundation. Here.

The powerful tornadoes brought down block-sized hail, uprooted trees, and caused deadly twisters to damage power lines.

Several municipalities reported roofs blown off, leaving thousands without electricity. Photos posted on social media showed damaged homes with debris strewn across lawns, a tractor-trailer flipped on its side on a highway and insulation ripped out of building walls.

Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts said in a statement, “This is devastating news and our hearts are broken for the families of those who lost loved ones.”

“The city is ready to help them in their time of need.”

Following the horrific tornadoes, a state of emergency was declared in Clarksville.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said he and his wife Maria were praying for all Tennesseans affected by the storm.

“We mourn the lives lost and ask everyone to continue to follow the guidance of local and state officials,” Lee said in a statement.

The National Weather Service has issued several tornado warnings in Tennessee and said it plans to survey the area where a tornado appeared to hit in Kentucky.

Shanika Washington said that as soon as she heard thunder sirens in her Clarksville neighborhood, she took her children, ages 5 and 10, to the windowless bathroom in the basement of her townhouse.

“The lights were flickering, so I knew it was nearby,” she said. “I just kept praying to God while it was happening. It was very scary and scary.”

For an agonizing 20 minutes in the bathroom, Washington loomed over her children like a protective shield.

“The back door actually swung open and you just heard a lot of wind,” she said. “The blinds and everything seemed to be shaking a lot. I could tell we died right in the middle of the storm.”

Coming out of the bathroom, she looked out the window and saw the destruction: debris rained down on cars whose windows were broken. Shutters have been ripped out of houses.

Some townhouses had their roofs torn off. Air conditioners and grills in the backyard were scattered like toys, and the wooden partitions between the townhouses were missing.

Because the power was out in the area, Washington took her children to a hotel for the night.

“I’m still a little shaken up, so I probably won’t get much sleep tonight,” Washington said. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all.”