A family of four survived after the storm destroyed their home

ROLLING FORK, Miss. – A family of four managed to pull their home off its foundation and survive when a deadly tornado struck Friday night.

“We hear a roar. We hear a roar. Now the wind started getting stronger. Now the wind is so strong that they are breaking the windows.”

Sammy Jackson acted quickly, trapping his family under the mattress in the hallway. Then, he said, they prepared for a direct hit.

“We heard a ‘boom, boom, boom,’ and then our house just went up in the air,” Jackson said.

Jackson said he was then hit in the head with trash, separated from his family and buried under bricks that were once part of his home.

“I just heard my grandson going ‘Pow-Pow, Five-Pow,'” Jackson said. “There was nothing to get me out of this mess.”

Surprisingly, Jackson’s 7-year-old grandson was safe along with his family. His family’s wealth is something he said he can’t think about.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Jackson said of the devastation Sunday afternoon. “I’ve lived here my whole life and I can’t believe it.”

Jackson, like the rest of its hometown of fewer than 2,000 people, faces the question of what will happen next.

“I love this area,” Jackson told Action News 5 when we asked if he plans to rebuild. “I hope they pay me enough to do it.”

President Biden has declared a state of emergency and made available federal funds for several devastated counties in Mississippi to help rebuild and clean up in Mississippi after a weekend storm killed at least 25 people.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves told reporters Sunday afternoon, “We are very grateful to President Biden for quickly acting on my request.” “We will work with the people in this community as well as our federal partners to help rebuild this community.”

Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker reinforced Governor Reeve’s statement, adding that “the city of Rolling Fork will come back bigger and better than ever.”

If you are looking for help, visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency website HERE (house | disasterassistance.gov)

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