Louisville Family Rides Out Storm

LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – With hundreds without power and damage a mile wide in some areas, the community of Louisville is trying to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of the deadly Tornado. Families are without homes and entire neighborhoods are destroyed with storm debris scattered all across the ground.

Tornado survivor Tami Whitehead says, “I peeked through the vent that’s at the bottom of the house and saw it coming and felt the wind and could here it. I said yall brace yourselves it’s on us it’s here.”

Whitehead along with family members and neighbors took shelter in her basement as the powerful tornado passed overhead destroying her parents home leaving a shell of what was.

“Then you just heard things ripping from above you and then it pulled you with it and toward it.”

What seemed like a life-time was over in a matter of seconds.

According to Whitehead, “We couldn’t get out, there were limbs and everything laying everywhere. We stayed in here for about an hour after it happened.”

Emergency responders and residents are assessing the damage done and checking on neighbors. It’s an effort going on all across town.

Louisville Mayor Will Hill has a game plan, ” The game plan right now is simply search and rescue . We’re not really worried about assessing the damage right now. We’re assessing how many are injured and how many are missing.”

Although the rebuilding process is sure to take months and possibly years, the Whitehead family is grateful for each other and counting their blessings.

“We have our lives and that’s all that really matters.”

The death toll continues to rise and several are still missing in Winston County.