Owners of Amory’s ‘The Pig’ say Friday’s tornado is deja vu

AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – A longtime Amory grocery store was one of the businesses destroyed by Friday night’s tornado. The Piggly Wiggly, or “The Pig” as locals call it, was a mainstay of the Amory community for decades.

This is not the first time the store’s owners have had to face the aftermath of a deadly tornado.

When Jared McGonagill drove to his family’s Piggly Wiggly Friday night moments after the tornado ripped through town, it was a sense of deja vu.

“That was one of the first things I thought when we pulled up and saw the damage, it took me right back to Smithville,” said Jared McGonagill.

Jared McGonagill’s family also owned “The Pig” in Smithville. It was the community’s only grocery store and it was leveled by that deadly 2011 twister.

In the aftermath of the 2011 tornado, the parking lot of the store became the staging area for first responders.

The parking lot of the Amory store quickly became the staging area after Friday night’s tornado.

McGonagill said having gone through the Smithville tornado does not make the Amory tornado any easier, but his family is doing the same thing they did when “The Pig” in Smithville was hit, they are helping their community any way they can.

“I ran back there and my gas was still on in the kitchen, so I grabbed Boston butts, throw them in the oven warmed them up, shredded them, and bring them out here, but now there are many people grilling and helping take care now,” said Jared McGonagill.

Jared McGonagill said his family is hoping to rebuild “The Pig” in Amory, but first, they have to get it all cleared out.

“It is one thing about self-owned, we will have to each of us, the family, wherever we can get help, we will have to remove everything in here, yes,” said Jared McGonagill.

The McGonagill family also owns the Piggly Wiggly in Nettleton.

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