Video: East Webster High Prepares to Re-open After Tornado Damage

[bitsontherun V1ae4klg]

WEBSTER COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – After a devastating tornado touched down in Webster County destroying everything in its path 2 years ago, East Webster High is ready to get back to normal on their old campus grounds.

It was April 2011 when an EF-3 tornado swept through Webster County, destroying homes and East Webster High School. Students and staff had to be temporarily relocated to nearby Wood Junior College, a campus that had been closed for years. Now after two years, they’re preparing to go to a newly built campus this Fall.

“We’ve already started packing up, getting things put together in order to move them. We’re just waiting for the go ahead. It’ll probably be sometime around the first of July before we’re given the green light to get into those buildings,” says Principal Bill Brand.

Administration and faculty hosted an end-of-the-year luncheon and looked forward to new beginnings at East Webster High. The high school is in the same location and still under construction but contractors expect to have it all completed in August.

East Webster High will officially open in the fall, but there’s one group that will be on campus this summer. The football team will begin practicing on the renovated field in July.

“It’s getting very close for us to being able to workout in there this summer and the kids are very excited about that. It’s just a top notch facility and we’re just proud of it,” says Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Doug Wilson.

Wilson says they can’t wait to get back home.

“I think just being back & being back in the community there where all the people that we used to see on a daily basis come by and just being on our own football field, is sorta like at home in our back yard. We just think it’ll be a great uplifting morale for our team and we’re excited about it,” says Wilson.

The new construction includes a gym, athletic field house and the main building on campus. Principal Brand says they are grateful to have had the Wood College facility in their time of need.