ROLLING FORK, Miss. (WJTV) – Nearly one year after a tornado tore through Rolling Fork, residents and businesses are still resilient. They’re busy building back, and some are vowing to come back stronger than before.

An EF-4 tornado passed through Issaquena and Sharkey counties in March 2023. The storm killed more than a dozen people. Residents said it was a horrific night.

“It was nine of us in the house when the storm hit. And one of my grandbabies almost went up in the air, and the other child grabbed her down. You know, by you being in a storm, you never will recover because one simple fact. You never will forget what happened,” said Bennie Armstrong, who lives in Rolling Fork.

Homes, schools and businesses were destroyed by the storm. One year later, you can see progress with more homes being built or brought into the city, as well as businesses.

“Our business has been booming. We are very blessed in this little town, even after all that’s happened to us. We are just so excited to be doing what we’re doing that we are so ready to get back into our building, so people can come in and sit and talk and eat with us,” said Tracy Harden, the owner of Chuck’s Dairy Bar.

Residents said they’ve been grateful for the thousands of volunteers who have been helping out during this trying time, but they still feel like more could be done. They are still without some services, including a laundromat.

FEMA recently announced the reimbursement of nearly $3 million to Rolling Fork. The funds will be used to replace signs and road repairs.