TYLERTOWN, Miss. (WHLT) – Tylertown neighbors are rolling up their sleeves to clean up and rebuild after a tornado outbreak on Saturday, March 15. Fifty-four homes were destroyed, and many more were left damaged.

Bobby Blansett and his wife, Donna, were trapped when their home collapsed during the storms. They escaped through a hole in the roof.

“It was the scariest thing I ever been in in my life. And the grace and the mercy of God who brought me through it. And I know it wasn’t a human that saved me, it was God,” Blansett said.

Next door, Steve Romero and Hailey Hart’s home and vehicle were also destroyed.

“The frame of it was thrown 50 yards down by the river, and everything that we owned inside the home and pieces of the home were scattered across three-acres. You know, there’s no home left,” said Romero.

Amidst the destruction, the couple found a symbol of hope.

“On the back end of the car was the Bible opened up to Ezekiel 7:20 and an American flag in the backyard hanging from a tree, flying in the wind. So, the two things that we need most right now in the world, God and country,” Romero stated.

Both couples said they’ve received an overwhelming amount of support from neighbors, churches and volunteer groups, including the Cajun Navy.

“Tremendous help from the Cajun Navy. We got a brand new car behind us. We have a camper. We just paid for a camper, and we paid for some land down in Foxworth. So, we’ll be owning that now. We won’t have to rent. We will be in something we own. And they’ve just been a tremendous help. Without them, we would have nothing, absolutely nothing,” said Romero.

“There’s not enough words to just describe how thankful we are for them and everybody else,” said Hart.

If you would like to volunteer, you can go to the Tylertown Fire Department.