Pascagoula rec center works on repairs after tornado

Repairs are in the works at the Pascagoula Recreation Center after a tornado tore through Jackson County late Friday night. The damage from the storm also forced the city’s summer camp out of the building.
A giant gaping hole in the ceiling was what Darcie Crew saw when she rushed to the recreation center after a tornado ripped through Pascagoula. “It was a clear view of the sky and in the middle of all of it, it was still raining at that time. So, rain was coming in.”
Crew and city officials had to act quickly to stop the water from flooding the center’s gym. Friday night’s tornado left damage to the roof and also questions on what the rec center would do next. “What was going to happen with summer camp today? What was going to happen with our regular programming? Was the building going to be safe enough?”
Officials decided the building wasn’t safe enough to house summer camp so camp was moved to Trent Lott Academy down the street. Camp Director Antoinette Johnson said, “Probably the biggest hurdle was contacting all the parents and making sure that they knew where to go.”
The tornado touched down just before midnight Friday. Johnson says if it hit sooner the situation could have turned deadly. “On Friday nights with open gym, we have anywhere from 50 to 60 people inside of that facility at night. So grateful that no one got hurt.”
Right now the plywood on the ceiling is just a temporary fix and officials are in the process of deciding if they’re going to permanently repair or replace the entire roof. “Our regular programming is still going to operate out of this building. Our office is still open. Our staff is doing their normal work during the day,” said Crew.
Crew says she’s proud of the way city officials from all different departments came together and immediately stepped into help. “We’ve been through a lot of different storms over the years and this is just something we know how to take care of.”