Melissa Swearingen woke up early Sunday morning as a tornado touched down at her home in the northwest corner of Arkansas. As she was coming down the stairs with her child, she looked out her window and saw a 40-foot tree falling towards her house.
“The whole house was shaking like a roller coaster,” Mr. Swearingen said in an interview outside his home. “I thought, this is it.”
But the tree destroyed the room above the family’s garage, giving her time to collect her seven-year-old son. She, her husband and her children were huddled in a first-floor bedroom when another tree crushed the other side of her home. “I thought the house was going to be torn apart and sucked in,” said Swearingen, 35.
Nearby, Byron Copeland, 38, sent his wife, three children and the family dog into the basement while he observed the storm. Then there was a terrifying boom as an electrical transformer exploded. “I ran towards the basement like a little girl.” Mr. Copeland said. As they waited for the weather to pass, the family sang the lullaby “Jesus Loves Me,” he said.
The Swearingens and Copelands were among the millions of families killed in tornadoes that devastated parts of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Kentucky over Memorial Day weekend. At least 23 people have died, including eight in Arkansas.
One of the hardest-hit cities was Rogers, Arkansas, located between Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville and Arkansas’ largest state park. Nearly two-thirds of Rogers lost power. Fallen trees made movement difficult. And Rogers Mayor Greg Hines had to climb through the branches of a 120-year-old maple tree blocking his front door before touring the damage by helicopter.
“You could see the tops of the trees that had just been shaved. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Mr. Hines said.
The tornado tossed a truck on its side and tore apart buildings and homes. On nearby Beaver Lake, the storm tore 20 slip docks from the shore, which were found floating in the lake with boats still attached.
A tree at Fifth and Cypress Streets hit a fire hydrant, causing a geyser to explode and flood the street. And a 250-year-old catalpa tree was destroyed.
Hines said he hopes to have at least one passable lane on every road by sunset Monday and that the city will open a command center on Tuesday to help people get housing and food assistance.
He said more than 30,000 people in Rogers were without power, but estimated most of them could get back online within the next few days.
The people of Rogers said they were determined to repair and soldier on as a community.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders visited the remains of the beloved Susie Q Malt Shop, which operated for nearly 64 years. The tornado tore off the roof and toppled walls, exposing a kitchen and soda fountain. There wasn’t much to keep upright, but it was a heavy steel freezer.
Video of the wreckage taken by a local photographer showed a pack of Oreo cookies with the top of a cupboard blown off. One of the building’s walls was left intact, with the Susie Q menu painted in pink and teal.
Mayor Hines said losing Suzy Q amidst such widespread damage was especially painful. “I received about 18 to 22 photos from residents,” he said. “Everyone belonged to this building, not their own home. “This highlights what this building means to this community.”
In downtown Rogers on Monday, city crews used excavators to remove tree branches and place them on lawns. Residents spent much of Memorial Day clearing streets of pipes, torn debris from pavement and uprooted trees.
“We keep moving forward,” said Will Swearingen, 40, Melisa’s husband. He and his family plan to live in their home while it rebuilds. “Chain saws, water, oil, gas. That’s all we need.”
About two dozen members of the Swearingen family live in the Rogers Historic District, and they participate in the annual Fourth of July parade through the neighborhood. Up to 300 people follow the route on foot, on horseback, on lawn mowers or in golf carts to attend the celebration.
Mr. Swearingen’s cousin, Scott Swearingen, 41, walked through a wilderness of broken trees, leaves and houses and pointed to two evergreen trees still standing. That spot is right there A large American flag is traditionally flown for Independence Day. The storm won’t change that tradition.
“There will be a parade this year, without a doubt,” he said. “One hundred percent.”
