MARRERO, La. — Residents on the Westbank are still shaken up after Wednesday’s tornadoes.
“It was a harrowing experience for everyone in the area, I had no idea it was going to be as devastating as it was. Thankfully I didn’t sustain damage except losing power,” one Westbank resident, Lisa Broussard said.
“It was shocking I’ve lived in Marrero my whole life and we never had tornadoes. We grew up with hurricanes, but not tornadoes, and just to see on social media and the news all of the damage it was just terrifying,” Jeri Duthu, a local resident, said.
The tornadoes left so much damage and destruction in their paths. The Winn-Dixie in Marrero’s roof looked as if it had collapsed from the natural disaster. The win after the tornado blew some of what was left off. Many who shop regularly at the grocery store were saddened to see it damaged.
“I almost cried because I don’t go to Walmart and that’s the next closest store then rouses in on Ames and Lapalco so that’s a bit of ways for me,” Karon Evans, a nearby resident said.
While many were expecting to have to find a new grocery store for the time being, too much to their surprise, the Winn-Dixie was back open by Saturday.
“We were just passing here and we looked and my husband said ‘are they open’ and I said ‘I see baskets I see people with baskets’ and he said ‘I’m not going to rouses I’m going right there’,” Zelma Evans, a Winn-Dixie shopper said.
Employees tell us much of the damage was on the outside of the building. The aisles were fairly intact and stocked. The store was outfitted with a new, temporary entrance and a tarp.
Winn-Dixie regulars expressed thanks to the store and employees for working so quickly to get the store ready for customers.
“Just grateful that things weren’t as bad as they could’ve been and they opened up, thinking about the people in the community. They opened up quickly enough so people could patronize and get things for the holidays,” Broussard said.
“It makes it feel like home. That’s what the community is about that’s the best part about living on the Westbank,” Duthu said.
According to our partners the at the Times Picayune-New Orleans Advocate, the store is open regular hours 7 A.M. to 10 P.M. and permanent fixes will be made in the upcoming weeks.
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