It’s been nearly two years since a deadly tornado slammed into north Mississippi. Eleven people, including a 7-year-old boy, died in the December 23rd, 2015 storm.
The town of Holly Springs was one of the hardest hit areas. People lost their homes and belongings.
“I just burst into tears and said help me, you know, ‘cause I needed help,” says survivor Sonja Wilkins.
Just as our interview with Wilkins began, the flood gates opened and out poured raw emotion, like it was yesterday.
“It just don’t feel the same,” says Wilkins.
December 23rd, 2015, Wilkins was a desperate mother who lost her home and belongings in the tornado. Wilkins almost lost her son. He was severely injured in the tornado, but survived.
“The tornado, when it hit, it took him up in the air and spit him out in the tree,” says Wilkins.
Wilkins says she feels blessed and is grateful for the life she has now, but she says every time she drives by where her house once stood, reality sets in all over again.
“I miss Holly Springs. I miss living up there on the hill,” says Wilkins.
Wilkins and her family bought a house in Olive Branch. Her son is back to work. They say time heals all wounds, but Wilkins still isn’t sure.
“Two years is a long time, but it’s still so fresh,” she says. “I think about it. I think about it. Everything that I’ve lost.”
