FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Rolling Fork, Miss., community members say, “the pictures don’t even do it justice to how much damage was done.”
In just a blink of an eye, thousands of lives in Rolling Fork, Miss., were changed forever.
A deadly tornado swept through Rolling Fork on Friday night, leaving more than 20 people dead.
Ann Sweezer Rogers and her mother senior pastor Linda Sweezer Rowster founded a church called The House of Peace Worship International in Rolling Fork, and they’re helping get lives back on track.
“People have lost loved ones, we’ve gotten members who have lost co-workers and neighbors, so it’s a lot people are really going through,” Rogers said.
Rowster says they can handle losing material things if it means nobody is dead or injured.
“Nobody from our church was seriously injured or died, but they lost property and they lost their homes. But, I told them, I said, ‘We still have you and we thank God,'” Rowster said.
Zachary Hall, a professional Arkansas storm chaser from Fort Smith followed the tornado on Friday and says it’s nothing as you could imagine.
“I have never seen one that strong, and I’ve never heard of a tornado with that noise. It was like a, I keep telling people, have like a roar to it, like a growl. And, I know people probably think I’m full of it, but I promise, it have like an audible growl,” Hall said.
Hall says he watched the tornado absorb everything in the atmosphere around it.
“It did significant damage, you know, debarked trees, put vehicles on top of houses, completely destroyed. Buildings look like an apocalyptic war zone,” Hall said.
Even though tons of homes and infrastructure were destroyed, one building remained intact.
“One of the members said, ‘Oh, by the way, Pastor, hey, the church is still standing in the midst of so many structures being knocked down,’ and we were just, I mean, we were elated,” Rowster said.
Rowster and Rogers said although the church has no power right now because of the tornado, the doors are still wide open to help those who are in need.
“They need the food, the water, the supplies and so, of course, as time goes on, we’ll continue to see what the needs are and try to meet those needs,” Rogers said.
The House of Peace of Worship Church has an outreach ministry called Grace and Prophecy that provides disaster relief if you would like to donate to those affected by the tornado.
Rowester says you can donate by their cash app called $GRACEANDPROPHECY or you can donate by phone at their dedicated line number at 855-540-0720.