LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Sandra Bynum’s home was one of many in that area devastated by the March 31 tornado, but she is starting a new journey with the help of her community.

Bynum, who’s 77 years old, has lived in the Walnut Valley area of Little Rock for more than 50 years. Her home was one of many in that area devastated by the March 31 tornado, but she is starting a new journey with the help of her community.

She said she was in her home at the time of the tornado and remembers hiding for cover.

“In a matter of 15 to 20 seconds it was over, but I could hear all this stuff hitting the house,” Bynum described.

Bynum said she had no idea of the devastation until she saw her roof was gone.

“I could see the sky, it took the roof off,” she said.

Bynum said she bought her home in 1971 and was heartbroken that it was left in shambles and had to be demolished and rebuilt, but through that journey, she found her smile again.

She said some things in the home go back to when she was five years old.

Bynum also said that the things saved from the tornado, like her teapots and fireplace mantel, will be put in the same place in her new home, which sits on the same plot of land as the old one.

“I have got little things from my life of 77 years in this house,” she said.

She said she hopes her neighborhood comes back to life.

“It will be a different place, but it will still have the love,” Bynum said.

Jesse Pierce, who is a builder for Willmark Homes that helped with rebuilding Bynum’s house, said that’s the goal for a lot of homes they’re working on in the city.

“All of the builders really want to see these places come back to life,” Pierce said.

Bynum said she could not wait to make her own.

“It went from a blank pile of rocks in the dirt, to the foundation, a house and I’m ready to make it a home,” she said.

Bynum said she hopes to be fully moved into her home soon and see her community rebuilt to what it was before, if not better.