Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 2

CLARIONLEDGER.COM 2A THE CLARION-LEDGER SUNDAY, JANUARY 2, 201 1 'S 'ASSESS A A I D.E lit I Linda Woods of Raymond photographs damage at her family business Saturday in Byram, after a tornado moved through the Jackson metro area Friday evening. Tornado: Electricity restored to most of 19K that lost power in storm ti diL rr-v Si 1' From 1A miles west of Terry at 4:44 p.m. and traveled 26 miles before lifting south of Lakeland Drive at 5:25, according to the National Weather Service. Highest winds were estimated at 125 miles per hour in Byram. No fatalities or major injuries were reported.

The storm destroyed or caused major damage to 34 homes, five mobile homes, 40 businesses and 20 agricultural buildings in Hinds, Rankin, Noxubee, Kemper and Attala counties. Hinds, primarily in the Terry and Byram areas, was hardest hit, with three homes, a mobile home and three business destroyed. Another eight homes, one mobile home and 17 businesses sustained major damage. By Saturday night, electricity had been restored to about 95 percent of the 19,750 residences that lost power during the storm. American Red Cross teams one led by disaster captain Lewis Herrington and spokeswoman Tardea Smith-Jewitt were cruising through damaged neighborhoods Saturday, providing food and water.

Hankins fought back tears when handed a bag filled with a sandwich, donated by Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Q, and bottles of water. "I can't even remember the last time we ate," she said. "We can't cook. We have no power. My fiance got a grill for Christmas but the storm blew ii away, so we don't even have that.

"And our insurance is telling us that we have to pay out of pocket for a hotel room and food, and we just don't have that kind of money right now." With temperatures predicted to drop below freezing Saturday night, Hankins said they would probably stay at a shelter set up by the Red Cross at the Pearl Community Center. In Byram, Police Chief Luke Thompson said he had two questions when first assessing the damage: "One, was anybody killed? And, two, were there any serious injuries? When I got a 'no' to both of those, I knew we had dodged a bullet. Barbara Gauntt The Clarion-Ledger n' I ii tin -fVK Counties affected: Attala, Hinds, Kemper, Noxubee and Rankin 34: Number of homes destroyed or with major damage 40: Number of businesses destroyed or with major damage 19,750: Number of homes without power Friday night. 95: Percentage of homes with power restored food at First Pentecostal Church in Jackson for a New Year's Eve singles class party when the storm tore a sizeable hole in the roof and ripped out part of a wall. T(t was pitch black.

I couldn't see a thing," said McCoy, who was not injured. Instead of the usual two services, McCoy said tentative plans were to have one service today "sometime between 2 and 3 p.m." Staff writer Theresa Apel and photographer Barbara Gauntt contributed to this story. To comment on this story, call Billy Watkins at (601) 961-7282. o-A i Steve Booth views the damage on Childre Drive in Pearl on Saturday after a damaged in Hinds, Rankin, Noxubee, Kemper and Attala counties. Rick Guy The Clarion-Ledger tornado toppled a tree onto his home Friday night.

Homes and businesses were iri "We can't cook. We have no power. My fiance got a grill for Christmas but the storm blew it away, so we don't even have that." Myrtlena Ertle Hankins, Pearl storm victim when I went to the back and could see lightning across the (southern) sky, I knew we'd lost all our pine trees out there. Before, you couldn't see nothing but trees." Merritt and his family spent New Year's Eve emptying rainwater from trash cans and buckets placed beneath holes in the ceiling. By late Saturday, the trees had been removed and a blue tarp served as a partial makeshift roof.

Woods Equipment, at 6017 1-55 South in Byram, suffered structural and water damage, said owner Alvin Woods. "We've got stuff everywhere up "I was with the police department in Gulfport when (hurricane) Katrina hit (in 2005). We lost lives. You hate to see anybody have damage to their property, but that doesn't compare to loss of life." Bob Merritt, 58, agreed. A massive pine tree was blown across his Jackson home on Terry Road, a block and a half from the Byram city limits.

But Merritt considered it "just a huge inconvenience more than anything. We can deal with trees and limbs and repairing a house. We're just thankful nobody was hurt." Merritt was inside the home with his wife Joan, daughter Tara and 1-year-old grandson Bryce when the storm struck. "We were watching the weather and seeing all those red spots (on radar) like everybody else," he said. "It really looked worse in other places than it did here.

But all of a sudden, it was on top of us. We all went to the middle of the house, in a hallway, and we could hear glass breaking everywhere and a lot of going off. It lasted probably five minutes. "It had gotten dark, but and down the road. We don't know what kind of shape we're in," he said.

Woods also received a call from someone about possible looters leavingwith some items. "We have insurance on some stuff, but I don't know what," Woods said. "I'm nervous as a cat, to tell you the truth. (But) I'm going to do like I do every Sunday morning and go to church, then do like I do every Monday and go to work, except this time I start cleaning up and hope someone comes along wanting something. "If you need a lawnmower, we can give you a bargain." Lee Moody, owner of Ray's Storage Buildings at 5379 1-55 South in Jackson, is also offering bargains.

All 30 of his buildings for sale were destroyed or severely damaged. "Used buildings cheap!" Moody yelled to no on in particular while managing a smile. He and his wife Dianne had just finished a supper of catfish, french fries and hushpuppies Friday before the storm roared past their brick home, just 25 feet from where his storage buildings were obliterated. "Didn't even touch the house," he said, shaking his head. "Strange, ain't it?" Pamela McCoy was preparing iJMJMMmb.