10 years later: Louisville reflects on impact of deadly tornado
LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – WLSM 107.1’s airwaves are lighting up with calls. Each one is different and each one is personal sharing their survival story from April 28, 2014.
Jim Mcadory is one of those people. The MSU Extension Agent knows there are still a lot of mixed emotions when it comes to telling stories about the decade-old disaster.
“It is interesting because some people do not want to talk about the tornado, and then there are some people who do not mind talking about the tornado. It is an emotional thing for some people because it took some people’s lives, and it almost took some people’s lives that maybe not want to go back into that mindset again,” said Mcadory.
Louisville native, Speedy Calvert, lost his home to the twister, but it is a memory he will always keep.
“We were listening to the weather on the TV, and they told us that it was about to hit south Louisville. That is when I went out to look at it, but I looked north and it came through the back door. I was able to get in the bathroom with my wife, and the next 45 seconds is something that will stick in my mind forever” said Calvert.
Calvert knows his story could have had a tragic ending.
“We lost our home, and it was a 2-story home, but we were very blessed to be able to walk out. So many friends and people had to be dug out with debris on top of them, but we were able to open our door. When I opened the door, I saw the sky because we were on the second floor, so the whole second story was gone,” said Calvert.
People have rebuilt and moved forward with life, but that doesn’t mean they have moved past what the EF4 tornado ripped away.
“We have done many interviews with people, and they still have some mental scars and still deal with some issues from that faithful day for sure,” said Mcadory.
Mayor Will Hill said the devastation from the storm prepared the city for future disasters.
“This is one thing that we have learned which is preparedness. You just have to be prepared to react. In our situation, we had to call an audible because every plan that was in place had to move to another plan. The response by everyone involved, was a result of our successes in the recovery search and rescue into every process,” said Hill.
The tornado took 10 lives and destroyed more than 450 homes.
Sunday, April 28 marks the 10th anniversary of the storm.
