Help Rolling Fork Get Back on its Feet

As a TV news field producer, it’s not uncommon for me to be sent to natural disasters. Covering death and destruction is an unfortunate part of the job. After a while, storm stories start to blend together, with scenes so similar that sometimes it’s hard to tell them apart.

Not this one.

My time in Mississippi was unequivocally different. A powerful one-mile-wide, monster tornado with winds greater than a Cat-5 hurricane ripped through Rolling Fork, Silver City and other small Mississippi towns on Friday night, March 24, 2023. The residents of those towns will never forget that date. In a matter of minutes, their lives changed forever. Most of them lost everything, including friends and family. Nearly two dozen people died as a result of the EF-4 tornado, as it ravaged roughly 80 miles. I witnessed the aftermath. Shocking. Horrifying. Heartbreaking. I’m still not entirely sure I’ve processed it.

We arrived with our crew before the sun, mere hours after the tornado touched down, trying to feel our way through the darkness to set up for our first live shot. Our headlights illuminated an area with significant damage. As we got out of our cars we could hear multiple security alarms sounding and the smell of a gas leak filled the air. We left and moved to a safer location.

It wasn’t until sunrise that we got our first look at the expansive devastation. Gut-wrenching.

The things I saw firsthand were surreal: Entire neighborhoods completely decimated, debris from mobile homes wrapped in trees, huge semi trucks stacked on top of each other like Jenga blocks, buildings destroyed apart from a couple of connecting walls, exposing rooms as if they were part of a film set. While staring at my feet trying to avoid nails and other dangerous debris, I found myself stepping over articles of clothing, books, toys, Christmas ornaments, baby items and other personal memorabilia… all glimpses into the lives once lived there. I had to fight back tears on more than one occasion. Seeing the children’s items scattered about really hit me hard.

The survivors we spoke to freely shared their stories. Most of them knew someone or had family killed in the tornado. They spoke to us about them as if we knew them too, often using only first names. Freddy, Rob, a two-year-old girl… all among the loved and lost. It quickly became apparent to me that there are no strangers in these communities. Everyone knows everyone. Everyone supports everyone. Family members had homes next to each other and across the street from one another - sometimes occupying four or five houses on a block. All of that was wiped out. Apart from their lives, most of these people are left with nothing. Nothing.

Rolling Fork and Silver City are small, rural towns where more than a third of people live in poverty, nearly three times the national average. The minimum wage rests around $7/hr (for those who can find a job). Most people don’t have renter’s or vehicle insurance, payments are made in cash and any disposable income is rare. There are nearly 2,000 residents that desperately need help - and fast! I heard from many that they want to stay, but don’t have the money to rebuild. Federal resources are promised, but there are worries the aid could be too little and too late.

In the three long days I spent traversing debris, sweating under the afternoon sun, meeting survivor after survivor, there is one interview in particular that really stood out. It was so powerful. My crew even echoed the same sentiments afterward. We met Malinda Washington and her family as they were sifting through rubble to find some of her mother-in-law’s clothes. Many people are just trying to salvage what they can at this point. Through tears, Malinda described to us how her house collapsed on top of her and her 12-year-old son, but by the grace of God, her husband was able to pull them both out to safety. She recalls the screams of her son when he saw her buried under the rubble, fearing the worst. And then there were the screams of her neighbors, experiencing similar realities, as the tornado bore down on them too. She says those screams still haunt her dreams. Her family lost their house, their car and the majority of their belongings. Miraculously, Malinda’s coffee shop in Rolling Fork survived - damaged, but still standing. She told us how she had recently opened it in a complete career change, as a way to create extra jobs and give back to her community. The storage unit that held all of her merchandise sadly didn’t make it. It will take a significant investment to restock and repair her cafe to make it operational again.

What I found most remarkable about Malinda, is her FAITH. Despite everything she has been through and everything she has lost, her faith in God is unwavering. How incredible is that? To trust so deeply that He will provide. I was so moved. I hugged her tightly after the interview.

“I don't have a lot of plans because I don't have a lot of money. And so I'm just trusting God during this process. I know he saved a lot of us for a reason. And so I trust him.” -Malinda Washington

Ever since that interview, I have felt it weighing on my heart to try and do something for Malinda, for her family, and for the town she loves so much. I have never launched a GoFundMe campaign before, but prayers pointed me here. With your donations, we can help Malinda reopen her cafe so that she can meet the needs of her tornado-ravaged community. Money will go toward store repairs, getting electrical and power services restored, buying merchandise for the bakery and coffee-making supplies, wages for employees, etc. With enough money, she hopes to be able to provide meals to those who can’t afford them, as well.

I can’t stress enough how urgent this need is. These people are living day-by-day, not knowing how they’ll get through the next. They are so kind. So humble. So deserving. PLEASE HELP. I’ve seen how the collective generosity of humanity can do BIG things. If you feel it in your heart to donate, no amount is too small or too large. Even $5 can benefit the cause. If you’re not in a position to donate, please post and share this link so that others will have the opportunity to contribute if they feel so led.

Media attention may wane, but the daily struggles of this tight-knit community will remain for quite a while longer.

Thank you so much!! Let’s get Rolling Fork back on its feet!

With sincerest gratitude,

Sarah

Here's the spot we did with Malinda:

Malinda’s coffee shop: