Six months after an EF4 tornado ripped through Rolling Fork, Mississippi , killing 14 and injuring several others, families and businesses are looking for things to return to normal.

“We’re here to support businesses, and I’m also here to support employment opportunities; we have lost tax-based revenue, and we’ve got to find a way to build some of that back,” said Mayor Ridge Walker.

Rolling Fork, Miss., Mayor Ridge Walker points to where City Hall stood before the March 2023 tornado devastated the town. Photo by Julieanna Jackson

Tracy Harden and her family own Chuck’s Dairy Bar, a local restaurant that has served the community since 1977. The Hardens and their business made national news after they and their employees survived a direct hit from the tornado by sheltering in the restaurant’s freezer. They all survived, but the experience forever changed Harden’s response to severe weather.

“Never in my life have I worried about a storm, just never have. Just respect it and pay attention to it because it can be you someday,” said Harden.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the Harden family’s desire to rebuild their business.

They continue to serve the restaurant’s full menu out of a food truck, and the office is now the front seat of Harden’s vehicle. Harden says they expect to reopen their business at the original location by the end of this year.

Chuck’s Dairy Barn owner Tracy Harden steps out of the vehicle that serves as her temporary office in Rolling Fork, Miss. Photo by Julieanna Jackson

“It’s an honor to do all this at this place for all these years,” Harden said. “It feels really good; I love this town as much as they care about me.”

Just a little up Highway 61 in Rolling Fork, another business owner is also feeling optimistic.

“I’m looking forward to everything being better than it was before the tornado, and with new businesses, everything will be great,” said Lacy Hankins, owner of Green Apple Florist.

After the storm, Hankins moved her business to a “she-shed” on her property so she could continue operating. Now, the exterior walls of her new building are up at the shop’s original location, and Hankins has the work well underway on the interior.

Green Apple Florist owner Lacy Hankins moves boxes outside of her “she-shed” in Rolling Fork, Miss. Photo by Julieanna Jackson

Mayor Walker is happy to see these and other businesses reopening their doors and is approaching the town’s recovery with patience.

“It’s going to take time, maybe ten years down the road, before we see the full impact of the rebuild, but I am hard-headed enough to know and believe it will happen,” he said.