Jessieville community reflects on one-year anniversary of EF-1 tornado
JESSIEVILLE, Ark. – Damaged buildings, schools, businesses and homes are now standing tall again in Jessieville.
It’s been one year since an EF-1 tornado hit the city, and today the community is reflecting on what life has been like since the disaster.
National Weather Service categorizes Jessieville tornado as EF1
Jan. 2, 2023, is a day community members said they’ll never forget.
Roofs have been put back on buildings and destruction has been rebuilt, but the one thing that they’ll remember most is how the community came together.
Gary Coleman owns property along Highway 7, right where the tornado came through.
“It was a mess, it was a mess,” he said.
Derek Combs, pastor of First Baptist Church in Jessieville, reflected on what he saw that day too.
“It was crazy because trees were down everywhere,” Combs said.
“The first time I came in and looked at it, it was just devastation,” Coleman said.
“There was nothing left but the frame, two big trees came across this house taking the roof out,” Coleman said.
The house that Coleman owns was destroyed a year ago, and now it stands tall.
“This one was about 80 to 90% destroyed and it took lots and lots of time to get them back,” he said.
Jessieville community hit Monday by severe weather
The Jessieville School District also took a big hit.
“Most of the roof was off of the music building, and later found out a lot of damage had been done to the football field and those structures,” Combs said.
Jessieville First Baptist Church is just across the street from the school. Combs said it all happened in the blink of an eye.
“Thinking about it, and thinking about that day and how scary it was, and how quick it came up, it came up so fast and then was gone so fast,” Combs said.
Combs said the damage he saw to the school, has now been rebuilt. The football stadium had games this fall, and the building has a new roof. His church didn’t have any damage, even just yards away.
Both Coleman and Combs said it was a day when the community joined forces to help a neighbor out.
“There was a lot of community involvement, a lot of people bringing food, a lot of people with chainsaws,” Combs said.
“You know small communities kind of hang together, and that’s what happened here, a lot of people hung together, a lot of people helped,” Coleman said.
Jessieville teachers and students hold Prayer of Gratitude after tornado damage
Other locals said it was a scary day, but it made them stronger. They’re glad no one was hurt and are happy their community is back and thriving.
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