KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tiffany Powers lost her mom and aunt in an Amtrak train derailment that she ended up surviving. Now, she is sharing her story for the first time since last year’s tragedy.

“It’s a struggle day-to-day. I’m a girl that still needs her mom regardless of how old I am,” Powers said.  

The derailment happened in Mendon, Missouri, one year ago, killing four people and hurting more than 150 others. 

The train was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago with a stop in Kansas City before it derailed in Mendon. 

“We flew forward, backwards, and then it went on its side,” Powers said.

Powers, her grandmother, her mom Rochelle Cook and aunt Kim Holsopple headed to Chicago for a girl’s weekend, something they all were looking forward to.

“We were actually getting ready to play cards on the train.”

Right before they started playing cards, Powers, along with her aunt and mother, went to use the restroom.

As they waited in line, the Amtrak train—traveling nearly 90 miles per hour—hit a dump truck at a crossing with no lights or crossing arms, only a sign.

“My mother and aunt landed side-by-side, and the dirt and gravel started coming in and covering them completely. I know it didn’t take very long for that to happen,” Powers said.

As quickly as she could, powers began digging, trying to save the lives of the women who raised her.

“I started trying to dig them out, doing everything I could, I was screaming for help,” she said.

She describes trying as hard as she could, as long as she could. Before she got out of the train, both Cook and Holsopple died.

 Powers’ grandmother survived and walked away with minor physical injuries, but they both live with mental trauma every day.

“I have severe PTSD, I still have night terrors, visions when I try and lay down and go to sleep. It’s a struggle every day,” Powers said.

She is doing her best to try to go on without the people who made their family go round.

“They were the rock in our family. They were the ones who planned all of the events, all of the holidays, the get-togethers,” Powers said.

The one thing Powers is clear about is there should be no uncontrolled crossings anywhere. 

The family plans to go to Kim and Rochelle’s favorite restaurant tomorrow and release purple balloons on the one-year anniversary of the tragedy.