Area residents lean on each other as state and local officials along with faith-based organizations work to restore normalcy after tornadoes swept through Mississippi on March 24.
Jeri Purnell, who rode out the EF-1 tornado in a storm shelter at the home of her grandparents, Jerry and Caroline Nix, said the experience was one she hopes to never endure again in the future.
Purnell’s husband, Derek Purnell, and three children Mary, Sara and Lyon were with Purnell and her grandparents as they listened to the wind-blown calamity just outside the shelter.
“My kids were scared. Me and my husband, we weren’t really scared. Our ears were popping – I guess from the pressure inside the tornado. We knew we were fine, but just the noise. We knew it was right on top of us from the noise,” said Purnell. “It was a roar, and you could hear everything just flying and tearing up stuff.”
She said the family did not know what to expect when they emerged from their safe place.
“We really couldn’t see anything. We could see all the trees and stuff. They weren’t there anymore, but it was pitch black dark,” said Purnell.
She said neighbors on Mississippi Highway 407 immediately began checking on each other after the tornado had moved north.
“All you could see were people shining flashlights, yelling ‘Are y’all okay?’” said Purnell. “The neighbors next door had come over and were knocking on the storm shelter before we even got out, before we even knew the storm had passed.”
As the family assessed damage to the home and yard, Winona fire fighters and other first responders lined Highway 407 promoting safety and providing relief, Purnell said.
“We didn’t even know it was over with and 407 was just lined with responders. All you could hear was chainsaws. Fire department personnel were everywhere saying, ‘There are hot lines on the ground. Everybody watch what you’re doing. Make sure you can see what you are doing,’” said Purnell.
Gov. Tate Reeves visited the home of Jerry Nix and others on Highway 407, after traveling northeast from Rolling Fork and Silver City.
“We started with a briefing in Jackson this morning,” said Reeves on Saturday. “We [visited] Rolling Fork; we [visited] Silver City. There were fatalities in both of those areas, and none here. Then we’re going to go up to Amory next. The storm and the tornadoes – really it entered our state on the western border at the Mississippi River and exited our state across the Tennessee Tombigbee River there in Amory. We plan on visiting virtually our entire state.”
Reeves confirmed 25 people died in Mississippi from the storm.
“While there are none in Montgomery County, there are a lot of people who are hurting and a lot of lives that were lost. We just want to make sure we can help those we can help as quickly as we can,” said Reeves.
Mississippi is in a State of Emergency, Reeves said, and state officials are working with federal officials to bring relief to the state.
“We have already sent up the declaration to the president, and hopefully, he will sign that by the end of today,” said Reeves on Saturday.
He said federal officials will begin sending much needed resources to area after President Joe Biden declares Mississippi in a State of Emergency. Sen. Lydia Chassaniol emphasized the tragedy of losing three lives in Carroll County while discussing the loss of homes in Carroll and Montgomery counties.
“Many of them will have to start all over again. That’s what’s sad – to lose your home, but thankfully, they have their families,” said Chassaniol. “I’m going to talk to the state leaders and see if perhaps we can get a plan together to have a storm shelter where people can go to where they will be able to ride out storms like this so that they won’t lose their lives.”
Winona Mayor Aaron said most of the tornado damage was limited to Wards Three, Four and Five in Winona, and 38 homes in the city were affected by the storm with several being destroyed.
Montgomery County Emergency Operations Center Director Allan Pratt said more than 70 homes throughout the county received either major or minor damage, and 11 were destroyed.
Damage has been reported on Billingsley Baskin Road, Mississippi Highway 82, Highway 51, Highway 407, Enterprise Drive, Hidden Hollow, Poor House Road, Bethlehem Church and Bethlehem Community Road, Pratt said.
“No major injuries have been reported to 911, and there were no fatalities [reported in Montgomery County],” he said.
Area residents currently are receiving varying forms of assistance from nonprofit and faith-based organizations.
Taylor Grocery of Oxford began feeding first responders and everyone affected by the storm at the Montgomery County Coliseum at noon on Tuesday, and volunteers from Moore Memorial Methodist Church of Winona have been distributing items at the coliseum.
