The mayors of Cordova and Sipsey said their citizens have come a long way since April 27 during an East Walker County Chamber of Commerce meeting on Tuesday.
Sipsey Mayor Anita Sanders said the tornado destroyed between 40 and 60 homes in her town, but new ones are going up every day now.
The Restore Sipsey Co-op, a partnership between several churches and organizations, is working on several projects for uninsured residents.
Sanders said the results of the vision meeting that was held recently will be announced Thursday night. The meeting was one step in the long-term recovery process.
Sanders praised her community for coming together in a time of need and expressed hope for a brighter future in Sipsey.
“We survived the storm and we’re going to come back,” Sanders said.
Mayor Jack Scott of Cordova had a similar message.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Scott said.
Scott pointed out that two tornadoes hit his city on April 27. Approximately 150 homes were damaged, of which about 75 were total losses.
He said rebuilding the Piggly Wiggly is still a priority. City officials are trying to acquire land for a new location because the former site is in the middle of a flood plain.
Scott said it is also important to save the small town atmosphere of the downtown area, although he said the building themselves will eventually have to be demolished.
Scott said municipal offices and the senior center have now been relocated to the old National Guard Armory building, which he said the city was fortunate to have at its disposal.
Scott added that the recovery process has been a group effort.
“A good leader surrounds himself with good people. That’s what I’ve done,” Scott said.
Scott then recognized Beth Stukes, chairwoman of Cordova’s Long Term Recovery Committee.
Stukes said Cordova began planning for the future several months earlier than some other communities that were devastated on April 27.
Stukes said city officials have worked with numerous partners to develop a draft that can be used as a road map for rebuilding.
However, she said the plan won’t become a reality overnight.
“Recovery doesn’t happen in a month or a year, three or five or possibly 10 years. It is a long-term process,” Stukes said.
Both mayors admitted that finances are going to be a hurdle in the months to come.
For example, Sanders said that although sales tax from a Dollar General in the area has boosted the town’s revenues, it can’t be used to hire a new full-time police officer or fund new programs for senior citizens until recovery is complete.
“Rebuilding after a tornado costs the citizens a lot, but the town pays a pretty penny too,” Sanders said.
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Daily Mountain Eagle - ‘We survived the storm and we’re going to come back’
