City Of Columbus Still Trying To Move Forward One Month After Deadly Tornado

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- This Saturday will mark one month since a deadly tornado ripped through Columbus.

Trees were uprooted and hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed.

Many people are still trying to figure out how to move forward from the devastation, including longtime resident Ruby Harris whose home is now a total loss.

Harris lived in her home for more than 30 years.

What was once her living room has now been turned into a room filled with debris scattered everywhere.

As she takes a visit back to house, she can’t help but think about the night the EF-3 tornado struck her home.

“I kept looking outside at the weather and I noticed it was getting darker and darker, so then I came back inside and I closed the door,” Harris recalled. “Upon closing the door it got white, and the next thing I peeped out again and the light pole had gotten dark outside for the light pole to come on. Next thing we knew we was in the floor. I don’t remember getting knocked in the floor or anything, but me and my daughter and two grand babies was knocked in the floor.”

Thankfully, all five people inside was able to make it out alive.

The Columbus woman is now one of many residents left to recover from the destructive storm.

However, as she looks to pick up the pieces, Harris said she feels as if storm victims are being neglected when it comes to receiving federal assistance.

“FEMA is moving mighty slow and I know they can do better than what they’re doing,” Harris expressed. “If they get up and start doing what they’re supposed to do, it’ll be better for everybody, but you don’t just stand there and just watch people suffer for no reason at all.”

While many wait on federal assistance, Anthony Johnson and his nephew Jeremy Brewer have taken it upon themselves to help the town clean up.

“It’s just a lot of pieces that you have to put back together that was destroyed in this place, so we’re going to do our best,” said Brewer, who drove from Noxubee County to lend a helping hand.

“This is something that people are not prepared for,” said Johnson, who spent much of his Friday cleaning up debris. “How can you prepare for a hardship, tragedy, and damage like this? That’s nature, nature can be tough.”

With one month already passing since the tornado, moving forward, many are hoping even more work will be done to restore all that was lost.

“If we get the help that we can get, yeah it’ll move on, but if they keep dragging like they are, it’s going to take a while for Columbus to rebuild and get back up on their feet,” said Harris.

Johnson and Brewer said they will continue to be out in the community cleaning all weekend.

At this time the city is still waiting to hear back from FEMA on whether they’ll receive federal assistance.