Columbus residents prepare for possibility of more severe weather

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s been two weeks since an EF 3 tornado devastated parts of Columbus.

Today is the first severe weather threat tornado victims have faced since the February 23rd storm.

“It don’t look like home no more. It don’t look like where we grew up at,” said Catherine Richardson.

Richardson has lived in Columbus her whole life, and she said she’s never seen anything like this happen in her community.

“They’re hurting. You know… everybody. The people are hurting, but they are pulling together,” said Richardson.

Since the tornado, Columbus residents have been trying to move forward, but today’s threat of severe weather has many looking back.

“Everything was bright. It was just like an old photo. When you take the flash, you can’t see nothing, and you can feel the heat…One vehicle came down… I was looking at it. It came out of the sky and just dropped with a stick through it, you know,” said Columbus resident Sam Neal.

The possibility of another tornado has many in the area developing plans of action.

“Oh yeah, my plan is to go out of the back door and go up under the house. You know because it’s a low area right there, and it’s up on a block foundation,” said Neal.

“I’m going home. I’m going to pray and hope everybody else gets in a safe place. Take care of each other. Watch out for each other,” said Richardson.

Neal said everyone should have a plan in the event of severe weather.

“Say a prayer and make a plan of what they are going to do. Don’t panic. Make a plan. Be ready to do an exit or wherever you are going to go. Make a plan…All in all, we just hoping and wishing that we don’t see no severe weather like that because it was tragic. It was like two locomotives coming,” said Neal.

In case of severe weather New Hope High School, Lowndes County Career Tech Center, and Caledonia Elementary School have built-in tornado shelters available to the community.

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