Video: Winston Strong Still Going Strong 2 Years On

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WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) –  It’s been two years since the EF-4 tornado swept through Winston County, and they’ve came a long way.

They wouldn’t be where they’re at today without the help of volunteers who put the pieces back together. Winston Strong helped replace homes for many who were left without, and residents couldn’t be more grateful.

“I’m just so thankful, you know, first of all that God spared our lives, you know, and then that he placed Winston Strong in our lives, and I’m thankful for that,” says Winston County resident, Clara Hampton.

The tornado damaged and destroyed around 350 homes, and the group, Winston Strong, has rebuilt around 90.

“That’s what Winston Strong was set up for.  We weren’t here to take away jobs from contractors for the people who had enough money for contractors, we were here for the vulnerable population that would not have been able to repair or rebuild without our help,” says Winston Strong Case Management Coordinator, Melli Jordan.

Residents joined together after they were told it would be the only way the community would make it.

“FEMA and MEMA came in, and they kind of let know like how bad it was, and if that we were going to recover, then we would need, you know, a full community based recovery,” says Jordan.

With help from Winston Strong, faith-based groups, and other organizations, the community has been able to get back on its feet.

“It was well over $5 million dollars worth of unmet needs is what we called it, and most of those have been met in these 2 years by volunteers, by donated material, and people just coming and working together,” says Winston Strong Volunteer Operations Manager, Hubert Yates.