MENDENHALL, Miss. (WJTV) – For several weeks in a row, the road to recovery following severe weather has been a reality for many across Mississippi.
Neighbors in Mendenhall were hit hard by severe weather on Sunday, April 17, 2022. Trees were uprooted in the Mendenhall Cemetery. Beyond all the damage, many said they’re thankful because it could have been worse.
“We have kids, and they were scared to death. I know that the Lord was with us. He protected us,” said Tanya Spears, who lives in Mendenhall.
Sunday night’s strong winds ripped through Mendenhall, causing significant damage to multiple homes, a convenience store and the cemetery. Mayor Todd Booth said he didn’t get much sleep as he watched severe weather disrupt his city.
“I got a call from my chief that his generator didn’t kick off, so that left us with no communication. As my first priority, I got my guys out, and we got started trying to see what was going on with the generator. Then, we got the backup functioning and started trying to get out to assess the damage,” said Booth.
No injuries have been reported, and schools were closed on Monday, April 18. One neighbor said he’s counting his blessings and is confident that his community will recover.
“Like always, work hard. Everybody is up this morning. You can see we’re all up out here. We will just keep working, keep plugging until the next storm and then do it again,” said William Cranford, who lives in Mendenhall.
Mayor Booth also said he’s been in communication with Entergy, and crews are expected to arrive in the city soon to restore power.