Holmes Community College begins rebuild after receiving heavy damage from recent tornadoes
Mar. 27—GOODMAN — From the water tower, it's the perfect view. It's easy to tell why the president's house is just down the gravel path.
A bird's eye view of Holmes Community College sits right where the school's lineman training center is. For athletic director Andy Wood, Thursday was his first time taking in the view since the storms ripped through.
Goodman was in the center of the latest natural disaster to come through the heart of the state. And the path the tornadoes took through Holmes' campus can be seen from where Wood was standing.
The trees beyond the baseball field stood no chance, and neither did the center field fence. The tornado ran past the third base dugout and toward the first base dugout of the adjacent softball field. The dugout roof stood no chance, but somehow the press box behind home plate looks untouched.
Past it, the new weight training facility has just a broken window to show for. But it's clear the tornado made its way by because, down the same path, destruction reigned again.
A parking lot turned into a junkyard. Car windows were shattered from the air pressure. Cars were pushed from inside the allotted spots and rammed into vehicles park one spot over. A power line fell atop a silver Chevrolet Malibu.
Wood suspects there may have been three different tornadoes touch down and cause damage to 30-40 buildings. Hurricane Katrina made its way through campus nearly 20 years ago with 100 mile per hour wins, but still caused less damage.
A tall task is ahead for those in the area, but the cleanup started immediately and a complete recovery is coming quicker than some may expect.
First alert
Campus closed at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday as the storms approached, but many students had left earlier knowing for a while what was ahead. At 12:45 p.m. the alerts were sent out.
Students received text messages, campus screens were taken over and sirens blared as the tornadoes were expected to hit in 20 minutes.
A collection of football players were in the fieldhouse for a meeting when it came time to seek shelter. They stayed put, which probably boded well despite the roof damage that occurred.
"Best place to be is in the field house because there's pads and helmets," Wood said.
He wasn't joking. The players actually put helmets on as the storms passed.
Wood was watching a news stream from his office in the student center. With no windows, he figured best to also stay put.
He was receiving texts and videos of what had taken place outside before he went to take a look for himself.
A radio tower had collapsed onto the outdoor tennis courts, taking down the fence and net in the process. A pair of dorms, Cook and Attala Hall, won't be usable until the Fall. Faculty housing nearby was left without power and water, though water was restored a couple days after.
Some of the damage, Wood jokes, isn't all that bad.
A flag pole was bent, though its rusty figure suggests a replacement was long overdue. Same goes for the visiting track bleachers destroyed near Church Street.
What's ahead
With it being such an isolated disaster, aide came immediately. Holmes' parking lots are filled with repair trucks. Tree repair came first and electric help came soon after.
Schools from across the state, Mississippi State and Ole Miss included, have offered help. Luckily for the athletic facilities, insurance will cover most everything, Wood says.
There is no timeline for when the baseball field will be ready for game action, which comes as untimely for a team starting to find its groove.
Former Mississippi State catcher Scott DeLoach is in his second season at the helm, and the team is off to a 7-11 start this season. However, after what DeLoach considered a purposely tough nonconference slate, the Dogs are off to a 4-2 start within their division.
With their return to Charlie Donald Field is uncertain, they've begun practicing at nearby high schools and will continue with their road slate. If power is restored, the team will return to campus. If not, they'll stay at a hotel.
Fixing the fence in center field is the easy part of the rebuild. DeLoach says there are debris embedded into the ground all over the field which will take a decent amount of time to take care of.
"We'll just kinda wing it day by day," DeLoach said.
The softball field is a quicker fix. A dugout roof isn't necessary to play, and the brand new turf field still in tact.
Trae Embry is the head coach on that side. He's also at his second season at the helm after a dominant career at Neshoba Central High School. Embry led the school to the last seven fast-pitch state titles and helped develop a plethora of collegiate talent — including MSU pitcher Aspen Wesley.
Southern hospitality
Wood was born in Chicago but has lived in Mississippi most his life. He quickly learned what southern hospitality is about, and it's why he can shrug while discussing eye-popping damage done to the university.
There's a sea of folks looking to help. He and president Jim Haffey have fielded calls from across the state.
Wood knows the rebuild is difficult, but with everyone there to help, it's a touch easier.
He also has a resilient group of athletes and students. The current generation of college students rolls with the punches. Moving classes online momentarily is second nature. These are kids who lost monumental life moments because of COVID-19 cancellations.
"When you tell them this is just a couple day break, they're not gonna lose their whole season, they're like, 'Oh, great,'" DeLoach says.
Holmes Community College will build back because that's what its community does. And soon enough, that view from the water tower will feature the sights and sounds of the athletic facilities below.
STEFAN KRAJISNIK is the Mississippi State athletics reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact him at stefan.krajisnik@djournal.com.
