Interview with Matthew Grissom, May 31, 2023

Partial Transcript: Okay so, we're now recording--today's date is--

Segment Synopsis: Matthew Grissom describes the day of the tornado as feeling off, saying it was strangely warm for December. He talks about seeking shelter in his basement, thinking that it would just be a thunderstorm. Grissom says that he was prompted to seek shelter by sirens, alerts, and intensifying wind. He describes the location of his family members and pets in his house during the tornado. Grissom says he felt a wave of air when the tornado struck his house, which was very loud and that it shook his house violently. He says that luckily everyone, including his animals, survived.

Keywords: Natural disasters; Sirens; Tornado sirens; Tornadoes; WEA; Wireless Emergency Alerts; Mayfield (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Um, and then if you can think back about--

Segment Synopsis: Grissom says he doesn't know if Walmart has continued to be involved in the recovery effort. He says he is unsure if they have donated any funds to help the community. Grissom says he feels he has overcome the trauma of the disaster most of the time, but storms now trigger a fight or flight response in him, although this has happened less frequently with time.

Keywords: Disaster recovery; Disaster relief; Donations; Fight or flight; Recovery efforts; Trauma; Walmart; Mayfield (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Can you talk with me about how you tried to obtain--

Segment Synopsis: Grissom says that he used Facebook and local news to stay up to date with information. He says Facebook was useful to learn about trash and debris collection procedure and it helped him connect with officials responsible for evaluating the reparability of his home. Grissom mentions that he was unable to stay in his home. He says Facebook is still his primary source of information about the recovery effort. Grissom says he is member of several groups on Facebook specific to the Mayfield recovery effort.

Keywords: Communications; Debris; Disaster recovery; Disaster relief; Facebook; Local news stations; Recovery efforts; Social media; Tornadoes; Mayfield (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Okay, and then um, could you talk with me--

Segment Synopsis: Grissom says people in the community are now put on edge by storms. He says there are still people displaced who have been asking the government for more assistance. Grissom describes how thunderstorms now give him anxiety and that losing his house was difficult because he had a lot of pride in it. He mentions finishing renovations on his bedroom just days before the tornado.

Keywords: Anxiety; Displaced people; Displacement; Government assistance; Severe weather; Storms; Tornadoes; Trauma; Mayfield (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: How have they changed the way you think in general--

Segment Synopsis: Grissom says that as a result of the tornado, he's always got a plan and tries to anticipate every foreseeable possibility even into the distant future. He says he has thought about getting a storm shelter installed, but doesn't know if he will do it or not. Grissom describes his new home, saying that it has a central room without windows that would be good in the event of another storm.

Keywords: Disaster planning; Storm shelters; Tornadoes; Weather damage; Weather events; Mayfield (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Have there been any organizations that stand out as being especially helpful--

Segment Synopsis: Grissom says that after the disaster he initially worked with the Red Cross and Samaritan's Purse, but that no organization was especially helpful to him. He says that these organizations were going to try to rebuild their home, but the damage was deemed too severe. He describes receiving the news that his home would not be reconstructed and the location of his former home in downtown Mayfield. He hopes that rebuilding will happen quickly and that it will be similar to what it was before.

Keywords: American Red Cross; Downtown Mayfield; Rebuilding; Reconstruction; Recovery efforts; Samaritan's Purse; Tornadoes; Weather damage; Mayfield (Ky.)