On August 29, 2006, Caruthersville Emergency Manager and Fire Chief Charlie Jones was awarded the StormReady Community Hero Award for his actions preventing further injuries and fatalities in the area. He ordered the sirens to sound repeatedly and used the fire department's communications frequency to warn of the imminent and extreme danger that lay ahead, which saved many lives that evening. No lives were lost in Caruthersville as a result. More than half the community was destroyed. Charitable outpouring was enormous and several key buildings, including one of the schools, have been rebuilt.