• Michelle Hartfield

The Road to Recovery in Rolling Fork, MS: Salvation Army Efforts in Disaster Recovery

While many disasters garner national and even international attention, the greatest effects are felt at a local level. The damage and loss are felt immediately, but the impacts last for a long time and usually require years of recovery effort. This is one of the reasons The Salvation Army puts a focus on the full life cycle of disaster recovery and not just immediate response. 

 

It is often common for communities to struggle with recovery after a disaster, even when all other forms of assistance are exhausted. In March of 2023, a series of tornadoes ripped through the state of Mississippi, causing damage across a 200-mile path. The town of Rolling Fork saw entire neighborhoods leveled in seconds, and recovery is still underway over a year later. 

 

The Salvation Army often joins together with other non-profit and community partners to identify disaster-related unmet needs and coordinate resources to assist individuals with recovery. In Rolling Fork, a dedicated case manager works with survivors to oversee these projects and guide them through the process of recovery. 

 

Betty was all smiles as she welcomed Salvation Army representatives into her brand-new home. She and her husband were able to move in on June 3, 2024. Her grandson, Baylor, who is excited to have his grandparents back in town to visits, played nearby as she told her story. 

 

After the tornado, their house was unlivable. Betty’s husband relocated to Jackson, MS for work, and Betty stayed behind to manage insurance claims and all the paperwork and minutiae that begin the process to recovery. After more than a year of living apart, they were thrilled to move into their new home and be back together as a family. 

 

“We really appreciate what you are doing and have done,” Betty shared. “You are still here, and that means a lot.” 

 

Dianne, one of the case managers handling long-term recovery in Rolling Fork shared some of the issues residents still face. Many of them are still in FEMA provided trailers, but deadlines to move are looming. “Even if they could afford rent,” said Dianne, “There is no available housing. There are several committee-funded builds underway, but it’s a slow process.” 

 

Peter was one of the first to move into his rebuilt home in March. He recalled the night of the storm and being woken up by his wife just in time for them to rush to the bathtub for shelter. The house shook as if it was being pulled up around them, and suddenly they were standing in the rain with no roof over their heads.  

 

The road to recovery has been winding, but Peter is happy to have survived the storm and looking forward to settling back into a new normal as the community he loves rebuilds. “We done good, Thank God,” he said as he showed off his new house. “I have nothing but good things to say about The Salvation Army.” 

 

All disasters begin and end at a local level, and The Salvation Army’s Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi division remains dedicated to recovery in Rolling Fork and other areas affected by the Spring 2023 tornadoes.