Mississippi tornado: ‘Mile-wide’ tornado kills at least 26 in US South
Several towns devastated in Mississippi and Alabama, thousands without power
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At least 26 people have been killed after tornadoes tore through parts of the US South overnight, according to emergency officials.
A number of towns appeared to have taken direct hits in Mississippi and Alabama, and people remained trapped under rubble on Saturday morning.
The rural towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork, Mississippi were hit by a reportedly “mile-wide”, 70mph tornado along with Winona and Amory in Alabama. The massive supercell storm also brought hail the size of golf balls.
Tornado Mississippi’s deadliest in more than a decade
The Mississippi tornado was the state’s deadliest in more than a decade and possibly more than half a century, according to local reports.
At least 23 people have been confirmed dead throughout the state, and that number was expected to rise, authorities said Saturday -- making it “at least the deadliest tornado to hit Mississippi since 2011, and potentially the deadliest in more than 50 years,” the Clarion Ledger reports.
President Biden tweeted that he’d spoken with FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell, who he said “has already deployed emergency response personnel and resources to support search-and-rescue and assess the damage.”
“We will do everything we can to help,” he tweeted. “We will work together to deliver the support you need to recover, for as long as it takes.”
Tornado touched down for more than an hour
Preliminary information based on estimates from storm reports and radar data indicate the tornado was on the ground for more than an hour and traveled at least 170 miles, a National Weather Service meteorologist told The Associated Press.
Lance Perilloux, who works for the NWS in Mississippi, made the comments as officials continued to survey the damage on the ground. Entire sections of towns were wiped out; in hard-hit Rolling Fork, trees were stripped of their branches and cars were flipped on their sides on Saturday -- while the occasional home could be soon still upright and undamaged, AP reported.
One town resident, Sheddrick Bell sheltered in a closet with his partner and two daughters for 15 minutes as the tornado barreled through, he told AP -- his partner praying loudly as his children cried nonstop.
“I was just thinking, ‘If I can still open my eyes and move around, I’m good,’” he said.
Debris traveled 100 miles with tornado
Debris from the fatal Mississippi tornadoes appears to have travelled more than 100 miles away, according to reports.
Musician Andrew Bryant tweeted a photo of a check from Rolling Fork on Saturday that he said was found in a relative’s yard more than 100 miles away.
“My cousin found this in her yard in Big Creek, MS. 133 miles from Rolling Fork,” he wrote, before tweeting a cartoon picturing two people hugging amidst debris with the words “Prayers for Mississippi.”
The Mississippi Department of Transportation continued to report significant amounts of debris blocking roads, the Clarion Ledger reported on Saturday.
Animal shelters ‘severely damaged'
Animal shelters were among the structures devastated during this weekend’s tornadoes, though one Mississippi woman assisting relief efforts in Rolling Fork described a happy discovery.
“The animal shelter was hit, but three dogs survived,” she told the Clarion Ledger. “I don’t know how. To find a live dog was unbelievable. It’s just unreal.”
Nearly 200 miles away in Amory, residents were also appealing for help for the local humane society, which was “severely damaged,” one volunteer told The Independent on Saturday.
The shelter posted numbers for volunteers that pet owners could call to help locate missing animals.
Mississippi submits ‘major disaster declaration'
The Mississippi governor on Saturday confirmed the state has submitted its “major disaster declaration” as he toured devastated areas.
“The scale of the damage and loss is evident everywhere affected today,” Gov. Tate Reeves tweeted. “Homes, businesses ... entire communities. Respond, Recover, Rebuild together. That is the mission.”
He also posted photos of recovery efforts already underway.
“The courage and resilience of the people of Silver City was on full display,” he tweeted. “Emergency operators are working to respond, and we will be there for the recovery and rebuilding as we get beyond today. Pure strength and will in the face of heartbreaking loss.”
Continuing severe weather across US leaves hundreds of thousands without power
Strong winds and power outages were plaguing states further north and east of the states affected by the Friday night tornadoes.
More than 125,000 Ohio customer were without power on Saturday afternoon, reported WCMH. More than 50,000 remained without power in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky, while nearly 60,000 West Virginians and 36,000 Pennsylvania residents lost electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.
Parts of far eastern Louisiana, souther/central Mississippi and southern/central Alabama remained under “an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.
Mississippi authorities, meanwhile, were offering safety advice for residents recovering after the storm, including a boil water notice, chainsaw and generator safety tips and reminders to avoid downed power lines. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency also posted a tweet urging caution when walking through debris as upturned nails present a danger.
Death toll rises to 26
Mississippi officials announced Saturday afternoon that the number of fatalities in the state had risen by two following the devastating tornadoes that touched down overnight.
“At this time the death toll has risen to 25 and dozens of others are injured,” the Mississippi Emergency Magement Agency said in an update. “The fatalities are reported in Sharkey, Humphreys, Carroll, and Monroe counties. Four people reported missing overnight have now been accounted for.”
Another storm-related death was confirmed across the border in Alabama.
Multiple state agencies and partners continued to work on response and recovery efforts in both states.
Alabama braces for more storms
Alabama was bracing on Saturday evening for more severe weather after tornadoes overnight tornadoes killed at least one person in the state and 25 more in neighboring Mississippi.
“We have a complex forecast over the next 36 hours as multiple rounds of potentially severe thunderstorms are possible late tonight through late Sunday night,” the National Weather Service’s Birmingham office tweeted. “The overall threat is highest across the southern half of Central Alabama.
“The main threat will be large hail, with the tornado threat being relatively lower. Damaging winds and flooding will also be possible.”
The state’s only reported storm-related death overnight occurred in Morgan County, in the north of the state, where cleanup efforts continued on Saturday.
‘The worst damage I’ve ever seen'
The spokeswoman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has called the devastation in her state “some of the worst damage I’ve ever seen.”
Malary White, MEMA’s public information officer, tweeted photos of the damage on Saturday; the agency updated its death toll within the state to 25.
“This is by far some of the worst damage I’ve ever seen,” Ms White wrote. “Help is here and more is on the way.”
National Weather Service crews were on the ground to assess the damage, and recovery efforts were underway in towns where entire swathes were destroyed.
Fewer than 7,000 people remained without power in Mississippi by Saturday evening, though hundreds of thousands in states including Alabama, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia.
In Ohio, the number without power had risen above 400,000, according to PowerOutage.us.
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