Paragould, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – March 20, 2025 – Much clean-up and pick-up has been done in areas of Paragould affected by last weekend’s EF-2 tornado. For those homes that received the heaviest damage it will be months before rebuilding and restoration can be completed.
Thursday afternoon staff from the Jonesboro Media Group joined volunteers from Pruett’s Chapel Methodist Church to furnish meals to storm victims, volunteers, first responders, linemen and others who have been part of the post-storm effort.
“We have been blessed this week to be able to furnish meals and to visit and pray with those impacted by the storms,” said Rev. Jerry Pentecost, pastor of Pruett’s Chapel Church. “The damage from this storm is bad, but it could have been much worse.”
Tyler Sitzer, remote coordinator for the Jonesboro Media Group, cooked hot dogs and served chips and drinks on the media group’s BFG grill. Representatives from Roof Raiders and Fence Builders were present to help as well as members of the Pruett’s Chapel Church. Several area residents who were impacted by the storm came to pick-up food. The team also made a pass-through damaged areas and handed out bags of food to those who needed it.
One of those impacted was Bruce Drope. Drope’s Marmaduke home was heavily damaged by a tornado in 2006, after which Drope moved to Paragould. His home was heavily damaged by the Memorial Day weekend tornado in May 2024. He and his family had only been back in there home a couple of months when his home was hit again this past weekend.
(L to R) Jim Frigo, Trey Stafford, Bruce Drope
“We were in our safe spot when all of a sudden it got very, very quiet,” Drope said. “I looked at our security camera which was pointed to the Southwest and showed it to my wife. We both said, ‘that’s not good!'” Drope said a few seconds later their home was hit and sustained heavy damage.
In Paragould the damage path extended from South Rockingchair Road and across Pruett’s Chapel Road where the storm bounced across Highway 49 into a neighborhood South of Mueller Street before bouncing again into the Downtown area.
Prior to moving into the city limits the tornado caused damage in Greene County on Highway 351 just South of Highway 358 at Liberty Church of Christ as well as some other damage East and Northeast of there moving toward Paragould. “The tornado damaged a couple of houses in the county,” said Greene County Judge Rusty McMillon who stopped by the Thursday afternoon event. “Other than that, most of the path was through wooded areas.”
Friday night the Jonesboro Media Group will join KAIT and the K8 Storm Team in Jackson County to feed storm victims, volunteers, workers, first responders and linemen in Jacksonport, Diaz and Campbell Station. The event will be held at the Diaz City Hall from 5-7pm.