Photo Gallery: Starting the long journey back in Rolling Fork
Published 6:06 pm Friday, March 31, 2023
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An old VHS copy of the movie "Hope Floats" sits in front of a large pile of tornado debris piled along East China Street in Rolling Fork. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
A bit of encouraging graffiti sits amongst the rubble in tornado-damaged Rolling Fork. Signs like that are scattered throughout the town in the wake of the March 24 storm. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
A doll sits amongst the rubble of a building in tornado-damaged Rolling Fork on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
A worker clears debris from around an 18-wheeler that was blown on top of a building during last week's tornado in Rolling Fork. The truck, along with another that was deposited next to it by the winds, were towed away Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
A doll watches workers clear debris in tornado-damaged Rolling Fork on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Maci Giles takes a break from serving meals to residents of Rolling Fork. Giles' family, which owns the restaurant 122 Hang Suite in Cleveland, set up on a corner and cooked fish and chicken wings to residents of the tornado-damaged town. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
The Sharkey County Courthouse was heavily damaged by the March 24 tornado. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Boxes of free clothes, donated after the March 24 tornado, sit on a corner across from the Sharkey County courthouse in Rolling Fork.
The water tower in Rolling Fork was destroyed by the March 24 tornado. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Downed street signs and a damaged building in downtown Rolling Fork provide evidence of the power of the March 24 tornado that struck the town. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
A building in downtown Rolling Fork that was heavily damaged by the March 24 tornado. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Two large wood carvings commemorating past editions of the Great Delta Bear Bear Affair survived the March 24 tornado in downtown Rolling Fork. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Debris sits inside a building in downtown Rolling Fork after its roof was destroyed by the March 24 tornado. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
A large tree that was uprooted by the March 24 tornado in downtown Rolling Fork. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
A store in downtown Rolling Fork was heavily damaged by the March 24 tornado. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
A man rides on a trailer hauling ice through the streets of downtown Rolling Fork on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
One of two 18-wheelers that were blown atop a building in downtown Rolling Fork by the March 24 tornado is towed away on Wednesday, March 29. The two trucks had become of a symbol of the power of the storm that damaged the town. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
The remains of a destroyed building are seen in downtown Rolling Fork following the March 24 tornado. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
A bit of encouraging graffiti sits amongst the rubble in tornado-damaged Rolling Fork. Signs like that are scattered throughout the town in the wake of the March 24 storm. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
A mattress with the words "RF Strong" written on it sits amongst the rubble in tornado-damaged Rolling Fork. Signs like that are scattered throughout the town in the wake of the March 24 storm. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
A week after a devastating EF-4 tornado leveled much of Rolling Fork, residents, workers and volunteers from across Mississippi were in the town this week to begin the long road to recovery.
Amidst the debris in the streets were some signs of hope for a brighter future. Volunteers from a number of restaurants came to town to cook for beleaguered residents and served free meals on street corners. Hand-painted signs of support and love reminded the town to stay strong.
Two 18-wheelers that were stacked on top of each other by the March 24 storm to create an iconic image of the destruction were towed away on Wednesday. Just yards away, in the middle of East China Street, sat a VHS copy of the 1998 movie “Hope Floats.” Flanked by debris on either side of the street, the video offered another reminder to Rolling Fork residents to remain hopeful as they rebuild their town.
About Ernest Bowker
Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.
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