The Region 8 News team spoke with survivors of the storm, along with city officials on what steps are being taken to continue to rebuild the city one year later.
Residents around the Prospect Road area talked about their experience before, during and after the EF-3 tornado tore through Jonesboro on March 28, 2020.
The Mall at Turtle Creek was one of the most visibly damaged buildings when the March 28, 2020 tornado tore through Jonesboro, and one year later that damage still remains.
According to a post on the city of Jonesboro’s Facebook page, the back South Matthews Avenue entrance off Nettleton Avenue to the Mall at Turtle Creek is now open as well as the South Matthews connection to Highland.
The City of Jonesboro issues a 30-day notice to The Mall at Turtle Creek owners, Brookfield Properties of Chicago, ordering the property to be cleaned up.
The Jonesboro Public Safety Council Committee met Tuesday and pushed the condemnation of a building damaged by the March 28 tornado to the full council.
Graeme Bell, the company’s Vice President of Americas says within a week, the company found a way to continue to serve its customer by moving to a temporary location in Trumann.
Lopez spent some time in 2020 in Arkansas. He and his family moved from New York City to Jonesboro at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Lopez’s wife has relatives from Jonesboro. The family survived the March tornado that came through town.
Region 8 News learned Tuesday afternoon that property at 2221 Needham St. was being demolished, 15 days after our initial report on its tornado recovery process.
The new and improved Gateway Tire location on Caraway will be finished by late spring or early summer of 2021, with the potential to be built even sooner.
The Salvation Army of Jonesboro was the recipient of a $2,000 Good Neighbor Grant from State Farm for COVID-19 support and an additional $3,000 grant for tornado recovery.
According to Jonesboro City Streets Superintendent Steve Tippitt Friday, May 29 is the last day to deliver tornado debris to Strawfloor Road for free disposal. Mayor Harold Perrin set up the temporary dumpsites on Strawfloor Road to save residents tipping fees at landfill.
The Small Business Administration recently approved a disaster declaration for Craighead County, which will allow them to offer low-interest, long-term loans to businesses of any size, non-profit organizations, and residents.
“We’re just here to help people," Erica Huffstetler said. "[We’re here to] make sure that they have a healthy place to live and have a roof over their head.”
Over the weekend, Craighead County received the Federal Disaster Declaration, a two-part aid to help our area from the March 28 tornado but the county only received half of the request.
A building that once received natural light through its large windows, now has light shining through it because the ceiling was ripped away in a tornado.
Individuals, businesses, and groups can receive help under a federal disaster declaration due to the March 28 tornado in Jonesboro, emergency officials said Friday.
