Winona residents begin recovery plans from Friday night’s storm

WINONA, Miss. (WCBI) – Like many Mississippians, the people of Winona need help immediately.

Many are without essential resources and even a home.

Former Mayor of Winona Jerry Flowers knows first-hand what it’s like not to have a home.

His house burned to the ground 15 years ago and now he and his family are living in a hotel following Friday night’s tornado that ripped through the town.

“This ain’t good but it could be a whole lot worse,” said Flowers. “I remember sitting in that bathroom and I said ‘Lord I hope there’s something above my head when this is gone.'”

Water is scarce in Winona and so is power.

WCBI reporter asked Flowers what he thinks the people of Winona need the most right now.

“The most is prayers. There’s a lot of need you know. We don’t have power in Winona. And we need water. Just think about the refrigerators. If you don’t have a generator, it’s pretty bad,” said Flowers.

Despite his community’s damage, Flowers can’t help but think about what other Mississippi communities are going through.

“This house and all this is stuff. But the people in Rolling Fork, that’s where it matters, when lives were taken. And in Carroll County, there were three lives taken by the tornado. So yea, this ain’t good but it could be a whole lot worse,” said Flowers.

Flowers is involved in setting up a relief center at the Montgomery Coliseum that will open Tuesday, March 28.

Relief and volunteer information is posted below:

• Pastor Chad Bowen of Winona’s Moore Memorial Church will front the relief center.
• MEMA Disaster Recovery will be set up at 109 Liberty Street on March 28 to better assist the essential needs of the community.
• National Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster (VOAD) is working with the Crisis Cleanup Hotline to free yards of debris and fallen trees. The hotline contact number is (662) 200-1659.
• Baptist Association will be at First Baptist Church located at 303 1st Ave, Amory, Miss., assisting with chainsaw work and tarping houses.

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