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One Month After Deadly Tornado, Much Work Remains

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Melvin and Sherry Carter
Today marks one month since an intense storm roared through the state killing 14 Mississippians. MPB's Jeffrey Hess returned to one of the hardest hit neighborhoods and found victims still working to clear away and clean up the debris of their ravaged homes.
 
Residents from the Louisville neighborhood that took the brunt of a massive EF-4 tornado are still chopping, and hauling away the debris from their obliterated homes.
 
One of those tornado survivors is Melvin Carter and his wife Sherry.
 
He was in his home when the tornado tore through completely destroying the structure.
 
"That is the hard part about it. Seeing your dreams wiped away in 30 seconds. That's a killer right there," Carter said.
 
He and his wife survived only because the back of their couch protected them from a collapsed wall.
 
All that remains now is a concrete slab among the wreckage of broken trees and personal belongs, and Carter isn't sure if rebuilding is worth it.
 
"Nothing you really have is your own. It is in your name but it is not yours. It can be taken away at any moment. That's why I say I can come back and build it again but it still may be taken away from us," Carter said.
 
That is one of the biggest concerns for Louisville mayor Will Hill, who fears a lack of housing and jobs will drive people out of the city.
 
"We have to make sure we have jobs for them here. And there is unbelievable amount of opportunity for us. We are working very closely with our state and federal agencies to make sure we do all we can to assist getting industry and getting health care back up. And assisting everyone who had insurance or lack there of to get rebuilt," Hill said.
 
The city has another major long term problem, the hospital was destroyed meaning residents there will have to use a temporary hospital for the next two years. 
 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency says they will soon be delivering temporary housing to alleviate some of the shortfall in places to live.
 
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