Rolling Fork Saferoom Dedication
Monday, October 26, 2026
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Storm Chaser Summit to Dedicate First Donated Tornado Saferoom in Rolling Fork, Mississippi
Storm chasers who witnessed the devastating March 24, 2023 tornado and helped residents in its immediate aftermath will return to Rolling Fork to dedicate a permanent place of safety — the first of many planned saferoom donations to vulnerable communities.
ROLLING FORK, Miss. — October 15th 2026 — More than three years after a violent tornado devastated Rolling Fork and surrounding Mississippi communities, members of the storm-chasing community are returning with a mission that extends far beyond documenting severe weather.
On Monday, October 26, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., the National Storm Chaser Summit (NSCS) will officially dedicate its first donated tornado saferoom in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. The dedication marks a major milestone in the nonprofit organization's mission to raise funds for tornado shelters and saferooms in communities particularly vulnerable to severe weather.
The ceremony will bring together members of the National Storm Chaser Summit Board of Directors, representatives from OZ Saferooms®, Rolling Fork residents, tornado survivors and prominent storm chasers — including several who were on the ground during and immediately after the March 24, 2023 tornado.
For many attending, the dedication is deeply personal.
On the evening of March 24, 2023, a violent, high-end EF4 tornado tore through Rolling Fork, Silver City and other communities across the Mississippi Delta. The Rolling Fork/Silver City tornado killed 17 people, making it Mississippi's deadliest tornado in more than five decades. The destruction contributed to President Joe Biden's March 26, 2023 major disaster declaration for Mississippi.
In the chaotic minutes after the tornado, storm chasers who had followed the tornado became some of the first people helping residents amid catastrophic damage. Chasers searched damaged buildings, assisted survivors and transported injured residents for medical care.
Now, some of those same storm chasers will return to Rolling Fork for a very different reason: to help provide protection before the next storm arrives.
“Storm chasers see firsthand what violent tornadoes can do to families and communities. We don't want our role to end when the cameras stop rolling or the storm moves away,” said Erik Fox, founder of the National Storm Chaser Summit. “This saferoom represents what our organization is all about — turning our passion for severe weather into something that can protect people and potentially save lives. Rolling Fork is our first dedication, but it will not be our last.”
Why Rolling Fork
The National Storm Chaser Summit selected Rolling Fork because of both the extraordinary devastation the community endured and the personal connection many storm chasers have to the people who survived it.
The March 2023 tornado carved a path through the Mississippi Delta, destroying homes and businesses and displacing hundreds of residents. Recovery and rebuilding have continued for years.
The dedication will also recognize the experiences of storm chasers and survivors from that night. Erik Fox will share the perspective of chasers who witnessed the tornado and its aftermath, while Eric Tole will speak about the rescue of April Nicholson. Brad and April Nicholson will join NSCS representatives and Drew Zagorski of OZ Saferooms® for the ceremonial ribbon cutting.
A Safe Room Designed for Extreme Conditions
After extensive research, the National Storm Chaser Summit selected OZ Saferooms® for the project based on the company’s patented, proven design and extensive expertise in tornado protection.
The OZ saferoom® sustained a direct hit during an EF-5 tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, yet remained undamaged and saved lives. This was the first above-ground tornado saferoom to withstand a direct hit without damage while protecting its occupants. The event was recognized as a FEMA mitigation success story.
The OZ saferoom® is the only product to have passed finite-element analysis testing by the Rochester Institute of Technology. Its steel-reinforced, monolithic construction forms a seamless concrete structure: a 10-inch base, 8-inch walls and 18-inch thick ceiling. The multilayered, steel -trapped sliding door is an integral part of the design, proven to stay intact, and operable once the tornado passes.
For NSCS, selecting a structure with a demonstrated real-world performance in extreme weather was essential to its mission of providing meaningful protection to communities at greatest risk.
First of Many
The Rolling Fork safe room represents the first saferoom funded and donated through the National Storm Chaser Summit's charitable efforts, but organizers say it is intended to be the beginning of a much larger initiative.
Through fundraising, partnerships and support from the severe-weather community, NSCS plans to continue identifying vulnerable communities and helping provide access to life-saving tornado protection.
“This isn't just about one saferoom,” said Holly LaMontagne, Executive Director of the National Storm Chaser Summit. “This is about building a program that can make a tangible difference in communities across tornado country. Every saferoom we help provide means more people have somewhere to go when minutes — and sometimes seconds — matter.”
MEDIA INVITATION
Members of the media are invited to attend the dedication, ribbon cutting and interview opportunities.
WHAT: National Storm Chaser Summit Rolling Fork Saferoom Dedication & Ribbon Cutting
WHEN: Monday, October 26, 2026
Media Arrival: 10:45 a.m.
Program Begins: 11:00 a.m.
Ribbon Cutting: Approximately 11:25 a.m.
WHERE: Rolling Fork, Mississippi — 5415 Sandy Bayou Rd., Rolling Fork, MS 39159
Expected Participants
National Storm Chaser Summit Board members and leadership; Rolling Fork tornado survivors Brad and April Nicholson; Drew Zagorski of OZ Saferooms; and storm chasers who witnessed the March 24, 2023 tornado and participated in the immediate response.
PHOTO/VIDEO OPPORTUNITIES:
Ribbon cutting at the new saferoom; tornado survivors alongside storm chasers and NSCS leadership; tours and close-up footage of the OZ Saferoom®; interviews with survivors, storm chasers, NSCS leadership and OZ Saferooms®.
INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:
Representatives will be available to discuss the March 24, 2023 Rolling Fork tornado, storm-chaser rescue efforts, tornado preparedness, saferoom technology, the National Storm Chaser Summit's charitable mission and its plans to fund additional saferooms in vulnerable communities.
About the National Storm Chaser Summit
The National Storm Chaser Summit is a nonprofit organization that brings together storm chasers, meteorologists, researchers, first responders and severe-weather enthusiasts while using the strength of the storm-chasing community to give back. Through fundraising and charitable initiatives, the organization works to provide saferooms to vulnerable communities and help protect lives before the next storm strikes.
About OZ Saferooms®
OZ Saferooms® designs monolithic, steel-reinforced concrete tornado saferooms engineered for extreme-impact conditions. The company says its safe-room technology has undergone finite-element analysis through the Rochester Institute of Technology and has a documented history of surviving direct tornado impacts while protecting occupants.
MEDIA CONTACT
Holly LaMontagne
National Storm Chaser Summit
Executive Director
313-682-1823
holly@chasersummit.org
Jennifer Watson
National Storm Chaser Summit
Board of Directors
662-722-2770
jennifersocialtrainer@gmail.com