Mississippi took a beating on April 6th

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Brandon, MS was the hardest hit area with several injuries with one serious injury. A confirmed tornado did quite a bit of damage to the area that lies just south of Jackson. A school was extensively damaged. However, it was a building that was under construction, therefore, no students were present.
Probably the scariest of the damage occured in Mize, MS where the high school was severly damaged while students were present. From premilimary assesments, an F3 tornado hit the school. Students had been placed on the lower floor in the hallways when the tornado hit. Amazingly, there were no injuries!

Here's an article from the Hattiesburg American newspaper http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com
You can find pictures here. Not sure how long this link will be active:
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps ... 001&Ref=PH
More about the Brandon, MS tornado here:
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

MIZE - High school students Brittney Butler, Jill Eubanks and Shaina Cain wore their pajamas and slippers and huddled against a chilly, misty morning Thursday wishing nothing more than to be inside their school.

"I never thought on a day off I would be back at school," said Butler, a junior, as she stood along the highway looking at the battered shell of Mize Attendance Center.

The girls had the day off after a tornado with winds estimated between 158 and 206 mph swept through Smith County on Wednesday tearing the second story from the high school and middle school building. They went to the school to see the damage and remember their experiences.

State officials estimate the school damage will exceed $3 million and could top $5 million.

"It's depressing," Cain said. "I just want to be back in school."

As the students waited, school officials and local construction firms laid plans for the cleanup and reopening of the schools. But the district was not able to begin any cleanup until after an insurance adjuster arrives to assess the damage, which may not happen until midday today, Superintendent Warren Woodrow said.

After the insurance company reviews the site, Landry and Lewis Architects and Larry J. Sumrall Contractors - both of which completed the work at West Jones Junior High and High School following a March 2002 tornado - can begin getting portions of the existing structures ready for use as early as next week, Woodrow said.

But architect Kevin Lewis said Thursday's inspection revealed the roof had been lifted off the elementary school - a building administrators had previously thought was unharmed and could be used almost immediately.

Woodrow said it may be possible to temporarily attach the roof. The building then could be used for the remainder of the school year and the roof would be secured permanently over the summer.

The plan is to begin removing debris Monday and move some students back into classrooms within the week, which will include using gymnasium, library and auditorium space if those buildings are sound, Woodrow said.

When a more complete picture of the classroom situation is available, the district will begin ordering portable classroom spaces to return the remainder of students to class.

"As soon as we can, we will have school," he said. "Our plan is to graduate on time, but a lot of things will depend on what happens in the next few days."

Bill Welch, Mississippi Department of Education's director of school building, said the district needs to act as quickly as possible to get the students back in the classrooms.

"Right now they've got to wait for the insurance adjuster, and not to be mean, but the fact that he's not here today is just wasting a valuable day," he said.

The storm that moved through Smith County was classified as an F3 tornado, which means it had winds of 158 to 206 mph and is capable of snapping large trees, causing serious damage to frame homes and knocking down walls, Alan Gerard of the National Weather Service in Jackson said.

While Mississippi was declared a state of emergency, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Robert Latham said there is very little chance the disaster will qualify the state for federal assistance.

"To get a federal declaration, you have to have over 100 homes damaged without insurance," he said. "It's not easy to qualify for and it's even more difficult to get public assistance."

Around the state, between 10 and 15 tornadoes hit in about six counties, Gerard said. Overall, 110 homes were destroyed and nine people were injured, MEMA reported.


Originally published April 8, 2005