LaReeca Rucker
The Clarion-Ledger
From the archives May 18, 2010

Attala County’s roads may be clear of debris, but residents still are recovering from the April 24 tornado that damaged about 100 homes.

In Hesterville, one of the hard-hit communities, property damage and fallen trees are still visible.

The day of the storm, J.D. Oakes, 66, watched two large trees snap and eerily move in slow motion across his lawn until they hit his home, damaging the side, roof, a bedroom and a backyard fence.

“We were fixing to eat when I heard the weather change,” he said while sitting on his front porch last Friday.

“I looked out the window and saw the trees. They didn’t fly across the lawn; they just came over real easy,” he said, extending his hand in slow motion. “Five or six trees went through the fence in the back yard and just about demolished it.”

Late last week, a blue tarp was hanging from the side of the porch of Oakes’ residence as a crew worked to repair the structure.

“It will take a while,” he said.

Durant resident Sonny McLelland, who led the work crew, said the storm’s power was evident.

“We had damage at my house, but it was just trees,” he said. “That thing was big. It picked up trucks and cars and moved them at my house.”

FEMA and MEMA have made their presence known in the area by strategically placing road signs that offer information about where residents can seek help.

Nikki Pressley, a MEMA spokeswoman, said a disaster recovery center has been established in Attala County.

“(Residents) are being encouraged to call the 800 number and register for assistance with FEMA,” she said. “When they go in, they go through the intake and assessment process. From there, they will know if they qualify for a cottage or other assistance.”

Danny Townsend, the Attala County Emergency Management director, said recovery efforts are progressing well.

He said about 144 people have visited the disaster recovery center at the National Guard Armory.

“The Army Corps of Engineers has been doing assessments to see about debris removal,” he said. “That’s where we are.”

Townsend said MEMA and FEMA have done an excellent job of getting information out to the community.

“Any time you have a storm like this, it takes a while for everybody to get back to normal, because some of them have worked a lifetime for what they have, and it’s gone in a matter of minutes.

“The main thing we are focusing on now is to make sure everyone is registered at the DRC and make sure they know to go there and follow the process through to the end.”

Dorothy Estes, who lives next door to the Oakes family, said FEMA and American Red Cross workers have made their rounds.

She was in Kosciusko when the tornado hit her home.

“It took two or three hours to get home with all the trees down,” she said. “It was hard waiting. I didn’t know the damage until I got here.”

A large pine was stretched across the driveway and parts of the roof and fence were down. The roof has since been temporarily patched with blue plastic to prevent leakage.

“I’m working on getting it back like it was,” she said.

While her little dog made it through the tornado, a pet cockatiel named Charlie became frantic and broke his neck trying to escape the storm and his cage.

“I talked to him all the time,” she said. “He was learning. He could say, ‘Hello.’ He was going to be a really friendly bird.”