Driving through Rolling Fork on Monday, March 27, 2023, looks different than any other day in the town’s history. Landmarks that were once a beacon can no longer be identified. Large equipment buzzes back and forth, clearing debris. People are moving non-stop, searching for personal belongings to salvage or passing out necessities donated by fellow Mississippians.
The sights and sounds that are atypical for the rural Delta town are the aftermath of an EF-4 tornado that ripped through the area Friday night.
“It’s devastating,” said Josh Miller, Sharkey County Farm Bureau president. “I was with the head guy of MEMA yesterday, and he said this was one of the worst he’s even seen. That the devastation compared to [Hurricane] Katrina.”
“So many people are without homes. Everybody’s out here doing what they can, but there’s just so much destruction,” said Savannah King, Sharkey/Issequena County Farm Bureau membership secretary. “I don’t think any of us have ever seen anything like this. It’s just heartbreaking.”
The only thing left standing at the Sharkey County Farm Bureau office is the secretary’s station. King and Sharkey/Issequena County Farm Bureau Agency Manager Leslie Stephenson spent the day working to save anything they could find in the rubble.
“I was able to find the county charter, all the board minutes and a few other important documents we need to keep on hand,” King said.
Workers and volunteers from across Mississippi and the Southeast have descended on the town to restore power, water and gas, as well as provide residents with the most basic needs, including food.
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation volunteers set up and began cooking for residents on Saturday.
“Everybody’s got to eat, and right now, there is nowhere for them to eat. We’ve had a lot of food donated, so we’re just sitting here, cooking and handing it out,” said MFBF Region 1 Regional Manager Craig Hankins. “Crews have been able to come pick it up and take it back to where they’re working. We’ve got side-by-sides here, too, so we’ve been able to deliver the food to them. We are doing what we can to keep everybody fed and able to work.”
There are many questions left to be answered about the future of Rolling Fork. But, residents like Miller, who grew up in the area and whose parents still live in Rolling Fork, feel confident the town will recover.
“There’s always the fear that businesses won’t build back, but the people here are resilient,” Miller said. “They’ve survived the backwater floods on a yearly basis. This is a little different, but I’ve talked to several business owners, and they said they’re going to build back. I think the town will come back even bigger and better than what it was before.”
MFBF President Mike McCormick knows agriculture depends on small towns like Rolling Fork, and now is the time for the agriculture community to stand up and help in this desperate time of need.
“We are ready to aid Rolling Fork and all of the other communities impacted by these tornados,” McCormick said. “Rural Mississippi is strong. We are more than just buildings. We are a family.”
“Farm Bureau is a family,” Hankins said. “It’s more than brick and mortar sitting on a slab. We hate that we lost the structure, but we can rebuild that. It’s the people that we’re here to support.”
MFBF will continue to assess the needs of those affected by the devastating tornados and provide aid where possible. To support these efforts, check donations can be sent to the address below.
Mississippi Farm Bureau Foundation and Relief Fund
Attn: Brent Wilson
P.O. Box 1972
Jackson, MS 39215
“Tornado Relief” should be written on the memo line of all checks. Online donations can be submitted at msfb.org/foundation.
As a 501(c)(3), any contribution made to the Mississippi Farm Bureau Foundation and Relief Fund is tax deductible. Contact Chief Financial Officer Brent Wilson at bewilson@msfb.org or 601-977-4205 with donation questions.