PETAL – Jan. 21 was a day Sonja Hopper will never forget.
That was the day her businesswas destroyed by an EF3 tornado that barreled through the Pine Belt.
Her Merle Norman shop was located in Eastbrook Commons, which was destroyed by the storm. Hopper and the 18 other businesses at the strip mall on Eastbrook Drive across from Wal-Martwere shut down in an instant.
"Everything we had in the studio was damaged, ruined," Hopper said."Since then, it's been a pretty long journey. We lost everything."
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Now, almost 10 months after the tornado, many Petal shops that were shuttered, forced to relocateor left with an uncertain future are back in business.
After the tornado, Hopper had five employees whom she had to tell they no longer had a place to work.
"They lost their job there for a little while," she said."But they were able to come back to work once the Hattiesburg store was open."
Luckily, Hopper said, the Merle Norman studio in Hattiesburg closed a week before the tornado hit. Hopper was able to buy the business and get it up and running a month to the day after the tornado. Shemoved it to Turtle Creek Drive near Indian Delight restaurant and brought back her employees to work in the Hattiesburg studio.
"Our customers in both Petal and Hattiesburg didn't have a place in Forrest County," she said. "They didn't have a place to get their makeup. They were in a panic."
Many of her Petal customers shopped at the Hattiesburg location until she could get the Petal store reopened on Oct. 21. She has since decided to keep the Hattiesburg store going, too.
"But everybody's excited we're back in Petal," she said of the store she has owned and operated for 20 years.
More:Petal businesses bounce back after tornado
Hopper said the Eastbrook center isn't full yet, and "there's a lot ofbeating and banging and trailers," but she hopes people in Petal will come out and support the stores that have recently opened or are close to opening.
"I'm worried that the few empty stores will keep people from browsing the mall as they had done in the past," she said.
Although Hopper was able to get back on her feet quickly after the tornado, it wasn't without its struggles, she said.
"It's been a journey, but it's also been a blessing," she said.
Fuji Japanese Express, C Spire, Harbor Loans and #1 Nails also have reopened at Eastbrook Commons, which sustained the most business-related tornado damage in Petal.
"It's a rebirth out there," said Valerie Wilson, Petal Area Chamber of Commerce director. "Not only are some of our older businesses coming back and opening up— which we're thrilled to have them back in business — they have new businesses moving in there."
After the tornado, C Spirebrought in a mobile unit to operate on Eastbrook Drive until the mall was rebuilt. Harbor Loans used atemporary location in Hattiesburg until it could return to Petal.
More:Petal families, businesses working to get back to normal 6 months after tornado
Los Charros Mexican Grill, which had opened just a few months before the tornado,and Best Price Wine and Liquor are set to reopen soon, and other businesses are slowly returning.
"It's exciting for Petal," Wilson said."The place looks beautiful. It's been upgraded. It's more inviting now. It provides a lot of alternatives here for people to shop here in Petal."
In October, Denise Simmons bought Chatelaine's boutique, which was located at theshopping center across from Eastbrook Commons. Sherenamed the store Southern Lace Boutique and movedit to Eastbrook. The boutique plans to open Wednesday.
"We chose this shopping center mainly for its curb appeal and location," Simmons said. "We knew who all would be returning, and we figured they would be good neighbors to have."
Southern Lace carries a variety of sizes and styles in women's clothing, from petites to plus sizes, and fashions for women of all ages, Simmons said.
"We carry (clothing) the grown women will feel comfortable wearing, not just teenagers," she said.
More:Petal tornado damage 'much worse' than 4 years ago
Some businesses decided not to return after the tornado, including Fox's Pizza and 32 Degrees.
Sassy Girl clothing boutique rebranded itself Fig Boutique and moved to The Summit at 1272Evelyn Gandy Parkway, a few doors down from theAT&T store that also had been at Eastbrook Commons.
Fig Boutique owner Traci Goodwin said in an earlier story the tornado offered Sassy Girlan opportunity to do something a little different.
"We feel like it’s a new beginning," she said. "Butwe’ll always be a Sassy Girl at heart."
Another eight to 10 businesses on Petal's west end were damaged or destroyed by the tornado. Most of them either reopened or moved to new locations in the weeks and months after the tornado.
The city and chamber worked with all the affected businesses after the tornado to do what they could to help them get back on their feet.
"We're happy to see (Eastbrook) open. We're happy for those business owners to get back into their shops," Ward 4 Alderman Brad Amacker said. "And we're happy for the people to have more places to shop again.
"I hope they can finish filling it up.I'm optimistic we're going to continue to get growth out there."
By the numbers
The Jan. 21 tornado
In Forrest County, 240 homes were destroyed, with 259 suffering major damage and 632 with minor damage, according to Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. In Lamar County, 11 homes were destroyed, in addition to 35 with major damage and 56 with minor damage.
Three Perry County homes were destroyed, along with eight in Lauderdale County.
There were also four confirmed deaths — all inHattiesburg— and 59 injuries from tornadoes and severe storms Jan. 21-22.