Yazoo City bustling with signs of healing

Sounds of swinging hammers fill the air along U.S. 49 and Old Benton Road. It seems like every other building has a roofing crew crawling atop it.

Yazoo City appears to be healing - less than three weeks after a tornado struck this community.

Nearly 200 homes in Yazoo County were destroyed by the April 24 tornado or suffered major damage - the most of any of the counties hit. And nearly half of the $1.2 million in individual disaster grants distributed by the federal government has gone to residents of the county.

State Sen. Kenneth Wayne Jones, D-Canton, who represents the area, said he is satisfied progress is being made. Jones said some of that has to do with the coordinated effort of the federal and state government, but most of the credit for the speed of the cleanup goes to the local communities.

Despite the damage, morale is high, he said.

"From what I can see, it's been overwhelming with communities supporting each other," Jones said.

Most of the struggles of individual homeowners revolve around insurance claims.

Alberta Harris was among those at the Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster recovery center in Yazoo City this week trying to figure out her next steps.

It is bad enough that Harris' home was severely damaged by the tornado, but it comes just a few weeks after the death of her mother. Harris, who hid under her bed when the tornado roared past, said the problem is the home belonged to her mother and the insurance policy still is in her name.

She applied for disaster assistance but said FEMA sent her back to her insurance company. Mostly, she has relied on help from local charities.

"I'm starting from scratch," she said. "I thank God for the churches. They helped me out."

FEMA spokeswoman Diane Allen said the disaster center in Yazoo City has processed 655 claims and was averaging about 55 claims a day.

Yazoo City Mayor McArthur Straughter said he believes some of his citizens' housing needs may be met with the arrival of one- and two-bedroom cottages originally constructed to house victims of Hurricane Katrina.

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