Tornadoes and communities: What the social networks of Rolling Fork teach us about crisis response

By Gulf States Newsroom staff

Published July 10, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT

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Debris left over from a tornado that ripped through Rolling Fork, Mississippi is scattered on the property of the Pinkins family on March 31, 2023. The Pinkins have lived in Rolling Fork for more than 100 years. The deadly tornado that touched down on March 24, 2023, leveled 13 of the family’s homes.

In 2023, a set of tornadoes wreaked havoc on the South, with the worst damage done in the small Mississippi town of Rolling Fork.

Researchers from the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium spoke with residents shortly after that. This year, they published a paper on how communities can change responses to weather crises.

On this week's episode, community engagement reporter Elise Catrion Gregg spoke to the researchers about what they learned about responding to weather emergencies and how we can use communities to prepare better.

This episode is hosted by Elise Catrion Gregg. The podcast is produced by Aubri Juhasz, Maya Miller, Drew Hawkins, Tanya Ott, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme.

To get in touch with the team, email connect@gulfstatesnewsroom.org.

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