A look at Rogers one year after deadly tornado
ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — One year after a deadly tornado swept through Rogers, different parts of the city that were damaged or destroyed have gone down many different paths.
On Memorial Day weekend 2024, 15 tornadoes touched down from Benton County to Marion County, destroying homes and businesses. One of the worst was an EF-3 tornado that destroyed a large portion of Rogers. Three people in Benton County died.
Some businesses were forced to close down, while some were able to rebuild and reopen. The city as a whole is still on the road to recovery.
A popular malt shop, Susie Q, was destroyed in the tornado, forcing the business to close down for good after nearly 64 years in business.
The business sold malts and burgers.
In September, the former employees of Susie Q opened a new restaurant inside the NorthWest Arkansas Community College's Becky Paneitz Student Center named Goldie's Grill.
'We enjoy feeding our community so much, ' Jeana Linn-Miller, Goldies Grill co-owner and former manager of Susie Q Malt Shop, said. 'Not even the tornado can keep us down. We cannot wait to see all your smiling faces once again.'
Goldie's Grill served burgers, pork, chicken, fries, hot dogs, burritos, ice cream, shakes, floats and limeades.
According to Goldie's Grill's Facebook page, it was forced to close in January after a lack of support.
Waffle Hut was a staple in Rogers since 1976 until it was heavily damaged in the Memorial Day tornado.
On May 29, the restaurant said it needed a remodel and that it would reopen. By December 16, the restaurant changed course and said it would not reopen.
'The Waffle Hut will always remain in the memories and hearts of those that made it a generational family hometown restaurant!' the restaurant said on Facebook.
In February, the building that housed Waffle Hut was declared a public hazard during a Rogers City Council meeting.
An inspection by the city found the building suffered 'severe' roof damage and was covered in tarps. The structure itself was compromised and the majority of the building's windows were boarded.
The council declared the building a nuisance and ordered it to be demolished.
The Rogers Goodwill Resource Center was forced to close after taking damage from the tornado.
It will reopen on May 28 with an event that will include a short ceremony and a promotional activity called the 'Bins Bonanza.'
Former Razorback Keith Kidd will serve food from his KDK's Chicken and Waffles truck from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Following the reopening, the store will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Cook's Natural Foods also closed after taking damage from the tornado.
After nearly a year, it was able to open in April after rebuilding.
Susana Cook, the owner of Cook's Natural Foods, says looking at the remodeled store now feels like she's standing in the middle of a blessing.
'I have faith in the Lord. He kept me going on. I knew we were going to rebuild. There was just a lot of work that we have ahead of ourselves. The Lord did have a plan for us,' Cook said.
Cook's is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Samaritan Shop in Rogers took severe damage during the tornado.
It took about 12 weeks to reopen in August.
'We have been blessed to see so many silver linings through the dark clouds that followed the tornado – so many people reached out to help us with cleaning up the damage, fed our team and kept us hydrated through months of no A/C, rolled up their sleeves and dug into the dirty work alongside us, and continued to promote our limited donation and sales timeframes,' said Amanda Bond, Director of Retail Operation, Samaritan Shop.
The shop provides the community with thrifting options for furniture and clothing. All purchases at the Samaritan Shop directly contribute to the mission of Samaritan Community Center (SCC), enabling the nonprofit to continue providing essential services to those facing food insecurity and seeking other care assistance.
Greer Lingle Middle School had to close for the 2024-25 school year after taking significant damage from the tornado.
To accommodate the 750 students displaced by the closure, Rogers Public Schools ordered 25 mobile units that were placed on the campus of the New Tech High School.
The school is expected to reopen in August. On Jan. 29, Rogers Superintendent Dr. Jeff Perry confirmed that substantial work has been completed at Lingle.
Despite ongoing work at the school, Perry said that the district is confident the building will be ready. As a result, the mobile units at New Tech will be removed this summer to make way for the transition.
Perry said a safe room will be added to the Fine Arts building to ensure the safety of students and staff during severe weather events.
The city of Rogers gave an update on the city in April and announced the creation of a tornado recovery project page on its website.
The city said the tornado caused $45 million in damage to city facilities and infrastructure, with damage to nearly 100 city locations.
The city continues to renovate its facilities and says it is being diligent in the process as it waits for federal assistance.
Renovations on the Adult Wellness Center, Rogers Public Library, Victory Theater, Fire Training Center, Animal Shelter, Street Department, Parks Department, numerous restrooms, concession buildings, parking and trail lighting are expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
The city was awarded a grant of more than $300,000 to help residents replant trees.
This funding comes from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and the USDA Forest Service to assist with replanting efforts on the east side of town following the damage from the tornadoes.
KWNA/FOX24 Chief Meteorologist Dan Skoff, along with the Your Weather Authority Team, recapped the tornado outbreak that swept through the region on that day in the special 'One Supercell to Remember.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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