Rolling Fork diner owner shares 1st look at rebuilt restaurant to reopen nearly 1 year after tornado
A year after a deadly, devastating EF-4 tornado tore through the small town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, the trail of destruction has been transformed.
Over the last year, the community has worked together to help the hundreds of displaced families get back on their feet, and rebuild homes and businesses -- including the beloved diner and community hub, Chuck's Dairy Bar.
"Not a lot was spared, but our lives," owner Tracy Harden told "Good Morning America" at the time as she paced through the rubble of the town.
Harden, who first spoke to "GMA" days after she saved staff by sheltering them inside a walk-in cooler moments before the tornado hit the restaurant, had been providing donated meals to those in need while getting ready to reopen the local establishment that's been a local staple since 1977.
"I’ve been here all my life so this is home -- we got to rebuild," she told "GMA" last spring. "There's not a lot of options in town -- I can't not come back. And I feel strongly that once I see people coming back, getting businesses back open, I feel like more people will be coming home."
In following her rebuilding journey, Chuck's opened a limited-time pop-up over the summer, which Harden said at the time was "hard" to "pull up every day to a place that used to be." She also said she felt hurt that the efforts were not farther along just four months into the process.
In November, Harden was able to show "GMA" a glimpse of the new, unfinished space, saying "I look at this and I see our future kitchen."
"To just see it coming together, it's happiness. Not just for me, my family, but for all of my employees. We’re just all ready to be home," she said.
On Monday, Harden showed off the finishing touches that went into the all-new Chuck's Dairy Bar that's just weeks away from officially reopening.
"I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of my wonderful community and people from around the world that sent prayers, sent help, sent love," she said. "I feel it all and I’m so thankful for it all."
