Mississippi Tornados Leave Residents Searching Through Rubble For Bodies

It is hard to say goodbye to loved ones, and the tornado didn't make it any easier on these family members as they picked up the pieces of their loved ones in Mississippi, where the tornado hit crushed 26 people, including a baby and a duo who gave up in each other's embrace.

The lovebirds passed away when the tornado hit and dropped their neighbor’s 18-wheeler on their apartment at night in Rolling Fork. 

David Brown, the son of Lonnie and Melissa, spoke with WAPT amidst tears, explaining that there are no words to capture how he feels. He is heartbroken and numb. David regretted not spending more quality time with his parents a day before their demise, stating that he didn't know how to tell his son what had transpired.

“I was told they passed away in each other's arms,” David Brown said as tears gushed down his face. Trying to suck it all in, David added that he needs to be strong for his family and feels a little bit better because he knows “they are in Heaven right now.”

Not everyone died. The survivors helped to recover the dead bodies trapped under the dirt, referred to as a “war zone.”  Over 26 people died as the tornado yanked off Rolling Fork and other tiny towns. 

The tornado hit a 2000 inhabitants town—Rolling Fork, leveling their homes into piles of debris while flipping and damaging their cars. Lonnie and Melissa lived at Seventh Street; all homes on the street were damaged beyond recognition, rendering 80 residents homeless. 

John Brewer and his partner, Joyce, the owner of the 18-wheeler truck, were at home when the tragedy struck.

John’s wheeler truck was parked close to the house but was carried over to Lonnie and Melissa’s apartment by the tornado, killing them.

John Brewer found his boat had been thrown into another neighbor’s house, but the boat was found two miles from the property.

John is surprised that there are survivors, “You look down this street and see the houses. I'm surprised anyone survived. If the rest of the town is like this, there could be hundreds of people killed.”

Rolling Fork residents came out in troops to find the missing bodies by digging out the deceased corpses under crushed abodes. 

When WAPT approached Shanta Howard to get their testimony, Shanta thought death had come knocking. “I thought I was dead. We had to help dead bodies out of the house, so that is very disturbing. Actually seeing people losing their lives over a weather incident.”

Kelly Perry and his spouse were trapped under the debris after the tornado struck their abode, Accuweather disclosed. They wouldn't have made it if they were not in the closet at the time of the hit.

It's a mixed feeling of sadness and happiness; while some neighbors survived, some friends of Kelly Perry from a few blocks away didn't make it out alive.

In Wren, Mississippi, a family lost an adult, Ethan Herndon, 33, and a baby Riley Herndon, who is only a year old.

Mississippi residents have set up a GoFundMe account for the Herndon family survivors—Ethan’s widow, their two children, Brantley,7,  and Aubrey, 4, who is badly injured by the tornado strike. 

The GoFundMe has the following description: “This sweet family is physically and emotionally shattered.'They have suffered the most painful and terrifying loss any of us can imagine, and their needs are obvious and great.”

Ethan’s wife, Elizabeth, suffered various injuries ranging from a broken arm and leg to a disjointed hip. In LeBonheur Hospital, Brantley is diagnosed with broken bones, a lacerated liver, and a deflated lung. At the same time, Aubrey suffered a broken elbow and a possible broken ankle.

People have been helpful, as the GoFundMe account has received a generous donation of $100,000 from a $300,000 goal.

Recovery crews are on the lookout, digging through the debris and house remains to ensure no one is trapped underneath.