A devastating tornado leveled dozens of homes and businesses in the small town of Amory in Monroe County, Mississippi March 24.
In the tornado’s wake, Mississippi State University provided aid to the people of Amory.
Randall Nevins, MSU’s extension agent for Monroe County, recounted some of the damage he witnessed.
“I’ve seen bad damage in other places, but I’ve never seen damage this bad in Monroe County. We’ve had small tornadoes and funnels come through Amory before, but nothing like this,” Nevins said. “The community bank, the high school and the national guard were some of the buildings that were hit, as well as a bunch of homes that were in the way too.”
Nevins said there had been two tornado-related deaths within Monroe County and local hospitals reported that 30 people were injured.
“There was a lot of damage in the rural areas. FEMA and the Red Cross have been trying to get the families who have been displaced situated. Some of them have been put in hotels and motels nearby, and others have been forced to temporarily move in with family or friends until they can get back to their houses — if they can get back to their houses,” Nevins said. “Some of them will have to start all over or completely rebuild.”
Kathy Jones, the director of Student Leadership and Community Engagement, spoke about the volunteer efforts being made by the Maroon Volunteer Center, a program run through SLCE.
“We were able to take three groups up to Amory to help. The United Way of Northeast Mississippi informed us they didn’t need help with debris cleanup like they originally thought, and instead needed help in the distribution center,” Jones said. “We ended up sorting through the donations and packing the grocery bags to get them out to the folks in the community as fast as possible. We were able to help them jump ahead at the center.”
Jones said that a campus-wide water drive helped supply Amory with bottled water after a boil-water notice was put in place.
“They’re solid on water, but now they need things like laundry detergents and soaps, and their needs only continue to evolve and change,” Jones said.
Jones said while MSU commonly aids in disaster relief, its efforts in Amory are significant because many MSU students and faculty members are from the Amory area.
“And the sad reality is that it can be any hometown tomorrow because unfortunately, we’re in an area that experiences a lot of tornadoes and sometimes even hurricanes,” Jones said. “When you’re able to be of service to someone else, why not? There’s no harm in helping someone else.”
Carla Huston, an MSU professor who serves as the Veterinary Disaster Response Coordinator for the College of Veterinary Medicine, spoke about the role MSU plays in disaster relief.
“Under the state emergency response plan, Mississippi State acts as a supporting entity in several different areas of the response plan. The MSU Extension Service and the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine work closely with Mississippi’s Board of Animal Health under what’s called ‘Support Function 11,’ that deals with animals and agriculture,” Huston said.
Huston said the MSU Extension Service was instrumental in providing an assessment of the agricultural and livestock damage done in Amory. The College of Veterinary Medicine provided support for large and small animals upon request.
“We received a request from the county to help support the companion animal care and triage from the ASPCA and Amory Humane Society. We helped coordinate some activities with the local veterinarians over the phone and provided on-site support for the Humane Society,” Huston said.
Huston stated that the care of affected animals, whether it be pets or livestock, is a significant form of disaster relief.
“We get involved in disaster response because of the impact we can have on communities. Animals are attached to people and families, they’re a part of people’s lives,” Huston said. “Providing care for these animals is important because some of these people have lost their homes, and being able to help take care of their pets means they have one less thing to worry about.”
Those interested in donating or volunteering can contact the United Way of Northeast Mississippi at unitedwaynems.org or call 662-841-9133.

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Courtesy Photo | MSU

Director of SLCE Kathy S. Jones