Violent tornadoes swept through swaths of Mississippi overnight, killing at least 23 people and one in Alabama, injuring dozens more, while decimating buildings and infrastructure.
Rescue and recovery efforts are still underway and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said on Saturday that four people remain missing and the fatality counts are expected to rise.
On Saturday, Governor Tate Reeves declared a State of Emergency throughout counties affected by the storm.
“I’m devastated by the destruction and loss of life that these storms have caused,” Reeves said. “The state of Mississippi will continue doing everything we can to marshal every resource available to support our fellow Mississippians who are in need. The state will be there to help them rebuild. We’re not going anywhere and we’re in it for the long haul.”
Here’s what to know.
The storms’ impact
The rural towns of Rolling Fork in Sharkey County and Silver City in Humphrey County in Mississippi were hit particularly hard by the storms. Officials confirmed that 13 of the recorded deaths so far were in Sharkey County, and the sheriff’s office reported responding to gas leaks and people trapped in rubble, according to Vicksburg News, a local outlet.
Storm chasers documented footage of chilling tornado funnels headed to Rolling Fork last night and urged emergency responders to rush over with help. Tornadoes with winds reaching 70 miles per hour hurdled through the region towards Alabama.
As of Saturday morning, nearly 15,000 Mississippi households and thousands more in Alabama and Tennessee were still without power, according to PowerOutage.us.
The storms were caused by a combination of factors, including warm humid air moving north that clashed with a higher altitude cold front, causing thunderstorms and tornadoes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had predicted a moderate severe weather risk across the southeast on Friday, but tornadoes that strike at night are typically deadlier as those in the danger zone sleep through storm updates.
“You are in a life-threatening situation,” The National Weather Service wrote in an alert Friday night. “Flying debris may be deadly to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be destroyed. Considerable damage to homes, businesses, and vehicles is likely and complete destruction is possible.”
The aftermath
The National Weather Service confirmed that multiple tornadoes passed through Mississipp on Friday, with one particularly large one hitting the state. The government agency deployed survey teams to western and central Mississippi on Saturday to evaluate the damage and determine tornado ratings—a process that could take a few days given the extensive damage. Tornadoes are rated on a scale of zero to five depending their wind speeds and damage.
As the clean up process begins, images of Rolling Fork are dotted with destroyed buildings and mobile homes, peppered with debris and flipped vehicles. Fallen trees and downed power lines lie in rescuers’ paths.
“My city is gone,” Rolling Fork mayor Eldrige Walker told CNN Saturday morning. “But we are resilient and we are going to come back. We’re going to come back strong.”
Of Rolling Fork’s roughly 2,000 residents, over 20% of people live in poverty in the predominantly Black town. Flooding and tornadoes are recurring concerns in the delta area where many residents living in mobile homes are particularly vulnerable.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency announced that the federal government is sending a team to help with recovery efforts. Local and state led recovery efforts have already begun organizing shelters and food banks.
The National Weather Service had tornado warnings under effect in parts of Alabama and Georgia through Saturday morning. Although the threats have mostly passed, southern Georgia and bits of Florida and Alabama are under severe thunderstorm watch.
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Anisha Kohli
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