Residents pick up the pieces after devastating tornado

SHARKEY CO., Miss. (WLBT) - “Devastating.” That’s the word many residents are saying after a deadly tornado swept through Mississippi.

Dianne Macon says her family’s business, Delta View, is now destroyed. It was a restaurant and motel until a massive storm took it out.

“It was Curtis Macon. He was the owner, and his wife Evelyn Macon was in the store when the tornado hit Delta View, and she got a lot of cuts and bruises,” Dianne Macon said.

Next door was a Family Dollar store that has been leveled.

“It is just sad,” said Ebone Dillard. “I never thought we would go through this in my life.”

Dillard worked at the local store. She wasn’t at work last night, but she had co-workers in the store when the deadly twister touchdown in the area.

“One of the coworkers, we were cool, and she lost her life, and one of the other coworkers, I was really cool with her, and she’s in the hospital,” said Dillard. “Honestly, I just feel blessed because it could have been me because I am always here at night.”

Residents say they never thought this would ever happen to their small town and they can still recall the violent storm that ripped through Rolling Fork Friday night.

“It sounded like a train coming. That is when you can hear trees uprooting, building rocking, people hollering,” said Macon.

“I have never seen nothing like this in real life. I seen it on tv before, but now I am experiencing it,” said resident Terry Ford.

Street after street, you will see flipped-over cars, roofs ripped off homes, snapped trees, and debris everywhere. Now, these residents are left to pick up the pieces after their town was turned into a war zone.

“When we rolled around and saw all this, it was like the world had ended. I couldn’t believe it. People were finding bodies, and people loss their lives. It is bad,” said Ford.

Governor Tate Reeves was on the ground today surveying the damage Saturday in Rolling Fork. He has this message for the tornado victims.

“We know God is, and he is going to stand with us. As we rebuild, we are going to rebuild together,” Gov. Reeves said.

The Governor also says the state will work to get public and individual assistance as well as the resources needed for tornado victims and those cities that were hit hard by the severe weather across Mississippi.

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