12 houses destroyed, 120 damaged by tornado as EMA coordinates relief
Apr. 1—After storms and a tornado ravaged Pontotoc County on Friday, Emergency Management Director Allen Bain said Saturday morning that efforts were well underway to assess damage, clear debris and serve those affected.
"Our base of operations is the Pontotoc AgriCenter, and we're coordinating with the American Red Cross to provide relief," said Bain.
That relief will include determining exactly what items are most needed for those hit by the tornado and setting up a temporary shelter, according to Bain.
"They (Red Cross) are bringing a housing unit from Marshall County, and we're considering a possible shelter at West Heights Baptist Church," said Bain.
Preliminary assessments show that 12 houses were destroyed by the tornado and at least 120 were damaged, Bain said.
The tornado first touched down in the Randolph Community, near the intersection of Hwy. 9 and Oswalt Road. That was approximately 12:55 a.m. The path of damage continued in an easterly direction, toward South Pontotoc High School, across South Pontotoc Road, to the area of intersection of Hwy. 15 and Hwy. 41. Still bearing east, the tornado made its way across Tenth St. in town, then toward the Pontotoc Country Club and eventually into the College Hill area, where the path of damage ended, according to Bain.
As of 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, all road obstructions had been cleared, according to Bain. Pontotoc Electric Power Association Director Frankie Moorman said at 10:45 a.m. that 508 meters were still out. "Our goal is to have everyone back on by Sunday night," said Moorman. "We've got approximately 30 broken 3-phase poles, and quite a few single phase poles broken. We have crews from Northeast Power and Tombigbee Electric in Pontotoc County helping us restore power, and we appreciate their systems."
Assessment of needed items should be determined by the early afternoon, at which point the EMA would coordinate with local media, as well as pushing out on social media, what citizens could donate. Once determined, all donations will be received at the Pontotoc AgriCenter
