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Pulaski County details recovery after EF‑4 tornado; FEMA, shelters and local relief efforts mobilize
Summary
County officials reported an EF‑4 tornado track and described coordinated response and recovery work led by emergency management, FEMA and local nonprofits; officials urged residents to accept help and outlined shelter, supplies and financial-aid options.
Pulaski County officials said an EF‑4 tornado tore a 55.6‑mile path through parts of the county, with a maximum width of about 1,700 yards, and described an ongoing recovery effort that has involved FEMA, state and local agencies, volunteer crews and nonprofit partners.
County Emergency Management said, “Confirmed EF 4, 55.6 miles on the ground, width of about 1,700 yards at its maximum,” and reported that the storm was the largest National Weather Service Jackson has tracked in the county in recent decades. Officials said the county has recorded one fatality and “3 or 4” injuries from the event.
The emergency manager and FEMA staff said federal and local response work includes disaster recovery centers, supply distribution “pod” sites and at least one Red Cross shelter. Emergency Management reported pod tallies of 10 people at Mount Victory, 43 at Nancy and 27 at the Somerset location at the Center for Rural Development; a Red Cross shelter was listed at Life Church on Jordan’s Way.
Why it matters: the damage is widespread and ongoing, and officials said many residents still need assistance with housing, documents and basic supplies. County leaders and nonprofit partners urged residents not to be “too proud” to accept help and outlined channels for relief.
Officials said FEMA has been on site since Saturday and that Joseph Martin, described in the meeting as a FEMA division supervisor, is available at the local recovery operation. County records staff and Social Security representatives are operating at a DRC to help residents who lost documents. Emergency Management said the EOC has been stood down for continuous staffing but remains available to take calls.
A county jail official proposed buying multiple generators to loan to residents who face long power outages; he said the county would use a user‑agreement system and bring purchase details back to the court. A motion to authorize the purchase and implement a generator loan program was made and carried.
Nonprofit and community response: Brenda Russell of God’s Food Pantry described large flows of donated supplies and volunteers. She said the pantry opened immediately and took in “about 6 tractor trailers of supplies” in the first days; the pantry created the Somerset Pulaski County Emergency Response Fund as a separate account for financial donations and said emergency food boxes are available to anyone in need. A VFW representative said the post still has trailers of donated items available for distribution.
Officials also thanked utilities and mutual‑aid crews for restoring power, and named multiple outside agencies and county responders that assisted, including Somerset and Nancy volunteer fire departments, state and county law enforcement agencies and mutual‑aid crews from neighboring counties.
County leaders asked residents to continue reporting unmet needs and to check with Disaster Recovery Center staff before declining assistance. The county emphasized that help is available through FEMA, the DRC and local nonprofits and that recovery work will continue in the coming weeks and months.
