Video: Volunteers From The Area And Nation Help NE Mississippi Tornado Victims

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ASHLAND, MISS. (WCBI) – Northeast Mississippi residents who were in the path of last week’s deadly tornado are cleaning up and putting their lives back together.
As WCBI’s Allie Martin reports, they are getting a lot of help from volunteers who are dispatched from Tupelo’s American Red Cross headquarters, along with other non profits.

Recent heavy rains and soggy soil made it tough at times for volunteers to navigate off road.

Volunteers from Harmony Baptist Church in New Albany have been helping tornado victims in Benton County since Saturday. They began at what is left of Calvary Baptist Church, where downed trees were cut up and placed near the road.

Then, volunteers went across the street, to Bobby Thompson’s house, where there was a lot of work to do.

“I haven’t personally necessarily been in the middle of a house that has been blown away and cleared out debris until this time,” said Tracy Yates of Harmony Baptist Church.

Thompson and his wife were home, making preparations for Christmas dinner, when the tornado struck. Their house received some damage, but a large barn, and storage shed were pulverized by the twister. He says the volunteers are a Godsend.

“They’ve all been here today cleaning up, they put in a lot of work and they do a great job,” Thompson said.

So, one week after the deadly tornado, the cleanup process is in full swing. Everyone involved says they are amazed at the tight knit nature of this community and the willingness of everyone to help out.

“They have taken care of themselves, they are what I call a each one reach one community, because somebody’s not going to think about themselves if they don’t think about their neighbor or somebody down the way and they just reach out and each one helps the other one,” said Marie Lyons, who, along with her husband Mike came from Kentucky to help with paperwork in their makeshift office at North Mississippi Primary HealthCare.

“It gives you a feeling of joy, it energizes you because these are people going through a really rough time in their lives,” said Mike Lyons.

Wherever they are from, volunteers say they are glad to do what they can to bring hope and healing to storm victims. If you would like more information on how to help, call the Red Cross at 855 891 7325.