Video: Itawamba County Recovers From Tornado

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ITAWAMBA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — When the tornadoes tore through our viewing area last week, two communities in Itawamba County were hit hard. Now, as WCBI’s Allie Martin reports, residents of the Ratliff and Houston communities are finding a lot of help from locals and those from out of state, in the aftermath of the twisters.

Within hours after the tornado struck Itawamba County, people began bringing supplies to the Ratliff Community Center for storm victims.

Now, clothes, food, personal hygiene products and other supplies fill the community center, which has become a base for relief efforts.

“They can come up here and get those at their leisure,” Sue Glassnor said.

Glassnor is with the Massachusetts based “All Hands Volunteers” and is helping coordinate assistance and volunteer efforts.

Those who want to help homeowners can also sign up at the community center and there is plenty of work to do.

This is typical of a lot of the damage in the Ratliff community. This is what’s left of somebody’s trailer, and all this will have to be moved to the road so it can be picked up. To do that there is a big need for volunteers with special equipment and know how.

“We have a real crucial need for people with heavy equipment with large chainsaws, trees that have been uprooted are humongous, any type of equipment that can drag these trees to where they need to go,” Glassnor said.

Just this week, county supervisors have received bids from companies to clean debris from public roadways and ditches. Still, the outpouring of support from local residents doesn’t surprise those who call this community their home.

“Not at all, not one bit, the people who live in our community are close knit , good , honest loving people and when one neighbor is in need, three neighbors are going to come to their aid,” said Barbara Bennett, of the Ratliff Community.

The Ratliff Center is expected to remain the hub for the volunteer effort and distribution site through the end of the month.

If you would like to help out, you can call 662-610-9807.