ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (WTVD) -- A third-generation Rocky Mount small business owner said she has a lot of anxiety as we approach the anniversary of Hurricane Helene, when an EF-3 tornado touched down .

Kezmit Howard knew the storm was expected to do a lot of damage and made the decision the night before to close her daycare center.

She was entrusted to watch 35 children at Forward Thinkers.

"Something inside of me was like, 'No, I need to close all the way down,'" said Howard.

Her small business was in a shopping center that was hit by the tornado.

"That building in front of us, they chose not to close that, that day, and people were trapped inside of their building and bricks were on top of them," said Howard.

Nothing, money, anything was not worth it to be open that day. - Kazm

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