Video: Louisville Police Officer Loses Home in Tornado, Struggles to Get Back to Work

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LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Normally he’s running to the scene of a disaster but this time it came to him. A Louisville Police officer, like many others, is trying to put his life back together after the deadly twister hit Winston County. Officer Vernon Eichelberger made the decision to leave home with his teenage son before the storm approached. Now he’s thankful that he did.

“I’m just hurting right now. We’re the only two that live here so I took him with me to Starkville. So I’m glad I did because if I would’ve left him, he wouldn’t have been here when I came back,” says.

Officer Eichelberger owned a home, a trailer and had several vehicles on the property.

“My patrol car was behind the house when I left but when I got back it was down the street there along with my son’s car,” says Eichelberger.

He hasn’t returned to work at the Police Department and is still trying to cope with the destruction.

“You know you form all kind of opinions in your mind but once I got here and saw this right here. Oh My God it was just, it was bad. I can’t really tell you how I really felt, I’m still feeling it. I wanted to wake up and say it was a dream but it’s not. It’s reality. So it’s tough,” says Eichelberger.

Eichelberger, who grew up in the area, says he plans to rebuild. He says the Louisville Police Department has been very supportive and he’s staying in Starkville for now.

Winston County Sheriff Jason Pugh also lost his home in the storm.