Smithville Residents Prep For Possible Storms

[syndicaster id=’6336011′]

SMITHVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — With possible severe weather coming up this week, it couldn’t have come at a worse time for Smithville residents.

This Wednesday marks the five year anniversary of a massive tornado that destroyed the town back in 2011.

“Even if its a thunderstorm, we kind of freak out and get excited and call out neighbors and friends who live here…”, said resident Kim Johnson.

Johnson said she lived in Smithville but was in Tupelo at the time of the tornado in 2011. She said the storm “picked up the roof and dropped it” on the home, and when crews went to repair electrical damages, the attic caught fire.

Johnson did say she was happy the house was still there.  “I was the seventh house on the block when I moved in…”, said Johnson, “…now, I’m the third.”

Monroe County Emergency Management Agency Director Bunky Goza was in charge for barely two years when the storm came through. “I had a lot of help from my peers across the state as well as locals and state agencies coming to help me so through experience and training you learn better reaction to those things…

“Its kind of like a necessary evil.”

Goza said the emergency management department has a good working relationship with the National Weather Service in Memphis, which sends daily hazard weather outlooks for preparation.

Goza said the biggest overall change for the area since the deadly storm is the improvements residents have made in weather awareness.

Through mitigation funding, Goza explained, other improvements include the CodeRED system, individual safe room programs, as well as community shelters like the dome gym at Smithville School.

Along with alerting friends, neighbors, and loved ones, Johnson said, “we watch weather on the news, we watch it on Facebook, and we even have our little apps that we use from different places…”

Johnson also said of the heightened weather awareness, “…before, you’re not as alert, but once its happened to you, everybody is alert…everybody in the town.”

Goza said the county held a weather information course where “two-thirds”of the class were interested and became certified storm spotters.

Smithville will hold a five year commemorative service this Wednesday at 3:15 PM at Smithville Memorial Park.

If you need information on the CodeRED system, visit the EMA’s website at www.monroems.com, or call (662) 369-3683.