LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Just three months after an EF3 tornado caused major destruction to parts of the state, people that were hit the hardest are still faced with a lot of unknowns around rebuilding or starting over.
Lots of homes were destroyed in Walnut Valley, including the home of Jenny and John Bishop.
Though they plan to rebuild, they said has not been an easy process and there is still a lot of uncertainty.
"We purchased this house last July and just barely had it for nine months," Jenny Bishop said.
Jenny and John Bishop were pretty new to the neighborhood when the tornado on March 31 wiped out their house and dozens of others near them.
When they saw what was left of their home after the storm, their initial reaction was shock.
"It was pretty overwhelming. And then of course, because it was dark, we couldn't see a lot. But we knew it was done," Bishop said.
Volunteers demolished the few parts that were still standing and now they've been left with just the foundation.
They said the neighborhood isn't the same after the tornado. One of the things the Bishops miss the most is the trees.
"We had a good sound barrier here with trees," Bishop said.
Now they're trying to adjust to the sound of the interstate, and even though it's louder, they still want to rebuild, but Jenny said it hasn't been an easy process.
"It's a little stressful, because it's just a lot of paperwork, a lot of unanswered questions, because we haven't been through anything like this," she explained.
They hope to get some disaster relief funding from the Small Business Administration so they can rebuild.
"We're still holding out hope that we're going to get an answer this week on whether we will get that disaster relief loan," she said.
In the meantime, Jenny and the rest of the neighborhood HOA have been working to clean up lingering debris, but that in itself hasn't been an easy process.
Little Rock's Ward 4 Director Capi Peck has been helping Walnut Valley through it.
"We've been able to make a lot of progress in the last couple of weeks. But it's an ongoing process. And it will be I think, for another month at least," Peck described.
She said if anyone in her ward needs some help after the tornado, they should reach out to her directly so she can connect them to the right person.
"It is our job to help our constituents connect with them and get answers," she added.
This weekend the Bishops, their neighbors, and a couple of local churches are coming together to clean up the Walnut Valley neighborhood park.
They're still looking for some volunteers to join them Saturday from 8: 00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
If you want to help you can call (501) 765-7707.
