SIKESTON, MO — Amid flooding, downed trees, power outages, and damaged businesses and homes — many Sikeston, Missouri residents are figuring out how to move forward.
Sikeston is one of dozens of communities in the Local 6 region impacted by severe storms on Sunday. Locals say the experience was scary, but they're glad to be uninjured.
A massive tree now stretches across the road in front of Nikki Russell's home.
Nikki Russell holds her dog in front of a large downed tree in Sikeston, Missouri on Sunday.
Russell said she was out camping Sunday night, but when her tent started getting wet, she got nervous and packed up. Just a few hours later, she was taking shelter with her family in her home.
She's lived there for 35 years and says she hasn't seen this kind of storm since 1989.
"I'm still such a nervous wreck from it all. It's just crazy," she said.
15-year-old Shon Harrington describes his storm experience in Sikeston, Missouri on Sunday.
15-year-old Shon Harrington said he woke up in the middle of the night to strong winds, and then the power went out. When he got up in the morning, he was surprised by the flooding and uprooted trees. He said it was his first time experiencing a storm like this, and after seeing all the damage in the area — he's thinking of his neighbors.
"I pray for all of the people who took the hardships of it," he said. "This where I was born and raised so like, for me to see this happen, it's kinda —it's not a good sight to see," he said.
James Cox, a 19-year-resident of Sikeston, said he would be looking for someone to help after he figured things out at his own home.
James Cox has lived in Sikeston for 19 years. His front porch was crushed by a massive tree that used to stand in his front yard. He said he was just glad none of his family were hurt.
"I heard the noise and I got up, and woke everybody else up and said 'we gotta get out of here,'" he explained. He said when he figured out what to do at his place, he was going to go out and see if he could help somebody else.
Sikeston Storm Photos
The City of Sikeston posted Sunday afternoon that the Red Cross was setting up a 40-bed shelter at the YMCA and working on making arrangements for food.
City Hall will be open Monday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., despite the Memorial Day holiday, for emergency business licenses and permits related to storm damage. There is also reportedly a curfew in place from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m., by order of Sikeston Mayor Greg Turnbow and Department of Public Safety Director James McMillen. The city said in a Facebook post that the curfew would be strictly enforced, but did not apply to people involved in repairs, demolition, or home and property owners on their own property.
