03/01/2022
Mayor William E. Cooper asks everyone to join him and the City of Enterprise workforce in a moment of silence at 1:10 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, in remembrance of the nine victims and all others who continue to live with the consequences of the devastating March 1, 2007 tornado.
Tuesday marks the 15th anniversary of the most tragic event in modern Enterprise history. As the storm packing 170-plus mph winds cut a 10-mile path through the city and beyond, destroying Enterprise High School, Hillcrest Elementary School and 248 homes, it took the lives of elderly resident Edna Strickland and EHS students Michael Bowen, Peter Dunn III, Andrew Jackson, Ryan Mohler, Katie Strunk, Michael Tompkins, Jamie Vidensek and Michelle Wilson.
โWe will never forget the devastation and grief of that day,โ Cooper said. โAnd we wonโt forget the courage and dedication of so many who helped in the long recovery process. We are thankful for what we have overcome to rebuild and renew our community, but we also recognize that we will never fully recover, because we will always mourn the loss of the nine precious lives lost that day.โ
The Mayor has asked all city employees, where possible, to pause for a moment at the approximate time when the tornado struck Enterprise to honor the lives lost and to pray for their families and all whose homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged, and all others who suffered and continue to suffer.
The devastating storm destroyed 248 homes, damaged another 379 so severely they were uninhabitable and damaged or affected another 787. More than 120 people throughout the city were injured. Damage was estimated at $330 million.
โI hope the public will join me and our Enterprise family today to pause and reflect, and to pray that we never again experience such a harrowing and sorrowful event in our city,โ Cooper said.