Tupelo city hall hosts 10 year “reflection of tornado” program
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The Tupelo City Hall was filled with many people expressing how an EF3 tornado changed their lives for the worse. Jason Shelton was Tupelo’s mayor during the time.
10 years later, he along with others in the city are sharing memories of survival.
“This is a remembrance program for the 2014 tornado that devastated the city of Tupelo. We were so fortunate to be spared the loss of life, we had tremendous devastation throughout the city. Today is a reflection of the city and the community’s response to how we came together,” said Shelton.
Thomas Walker is the former fire chief of the Tupelo Fire Department and one of the people who shared his story about surviving the EF3 tornado. He said April 28 is a day he will never forget.
“It started off as a lot of rain, and then the wind started mixing in. As I said earlier, I was actually responding to a situation in the driving rain where I could barely see the hood of my truck, much less the street,” said Walker.
Walker also said he is pleased by the way his department reacted to Mother Nature.
“My firefighters did great, not only did the city have a plan, but the fire station itself had a plan. There were standard operating guidelines,” said Walker.
K.C. Grist is the executive director of the American Red Cross North Mississippi Chapter.
“We help with food, and we help with shelter. We walk hand and hand with people who have been through some of the worst times of their life,” said Grist.
Grist said the damage from the tornado, prepared the Red Cross for future natural disasters.
“I have had the opportunity to go through other places in the country and help respond. You learn something from every single disaster, and you learn how to do it better the next time,” said Grist.
Over 80 people were in attendance for the program.
