Louisville mayor talks about 9th anniversary of tragic tornado

LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – When a tornado hits your hometown, it’s a memory that is forever engraved in your mind.

Almost nine years ago the Town of Louisville lost a lot after a tornado ripped through the town, taking homes, businesses, and even family members.

On this month nine years ago many people in Louisville faced a tragic moment in their lives when an EF4 tornado swept the town taking businesses’ homes and several lives.

“We never want to lose sight and never want to forget. It was a defining moment in life and the history of our city. There are defining moments in a person’s life. Whether it’s a graduation a marriage a birth of a child, a new job, or a relocation. April 28, 2014 will always be a point of History in Louisville Mississippi, and Winston County,” said Hill.

105 months of hard work, planning, meetings, and rebuilding. That’s how long it took for the city to get back on its feet.

However, Hill said it will never look like it once did.

“No town, no community and no county is the same after a disaster. the only constant in life changes, a storm definitely changes a community but you’ll either be better for it or what the opposite,” said Hill.

And Hill said the ones that have been through it will tell you patience is key.

“I was encouraged by many in other areas after our disaster, the word patience was used a lot little did I know that that was truly going to be the driving force and patience is definitely a virtue,” said Hill.

Along with other “P” words such as persistence, passion, planning, and most of all the people that are there facing the tragedy with you.

And Hill reminded whoever has or is going through this that people are here to help and you are not alone.

“There’s so much in recent months with visitors and seeing this happen and each time you see disaster in Mississippi or anywhere there’s a kinship that you’ve created a club that you didn’t ask to join,” said Hill.

Hill said while he does plan to do something on the 10-year anniversary of the tornado, he’s not sure of what that will be.

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