Carroll County Dealing with Back to Back Storms
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All of West Tennessee remained under a tornado watch Wednesday night, leaving many of us wondering how much more bad weather must we endure. In Carroll County, two weeks worth of storms has the small community of McLemoresville reeling, yet very thankful. According to the EMA director, McLemoresville suffered the brunt of the storm, and if you drive through the downtown area, it will not take you long to realize why. Mayor Phil Williams, of McLemoresville, says, “We thank you God for everything that you’ve given us, most of all the blessing and sparing of lives.” Prayers are the only way Mayor Williams, says, the little town of McLemoresville, will be able to rebuild. Williams, adds, “We’re reminded that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away and it can happen in a minute.” A minute is all it took, officials, say for straight line winds, going at least 80 miles per hour, to tear through the heart of the town. If you look to your right, you see damage. If you look to your left, you see even more damage. Barbara Younger, a resident, says, “The cemetery is a big loss for us. All those tombstones that had been crushed is hard to think about.” Trees, some as old as gravesites, demolished tombstones, and pushed others so far into the ground, that you would need heavy equipment to lift them out. Courtney DePriest, adds, “We’ve never had anything like this in McLemoresville.” And neither has Mayor Williams. He has been lived there for 60 years, and says the ice storm in 1994 rivals this storm, but does not beat it. About a hundred structures are damaged county-wide. For example, at West Carroll Primary, a portion of their roof was ripped off, and thousands are still without power. Mayor Williams, adds, “Thank God nobody was hurt during this disaster.” Rebuilding will take about a year, residents, say, unless there is flooding. Then they say they will need more prayers to help get McLemoresville back to where it used to be. The EMA director says two major roads flooded, like parts of Highway 22, but they are working to clear them. According to Mayor Williams, a disaster relief team came in Wednesday morning to help, but got rained out. However, they plan to return on Thursday.
