Powerful Tornado Kills At Least 25 In Mississippi, Including Rolling Fork

A powerful tornado tore through Mississippi, killing at least 25 people and leaving residents in Rolling Fork to deal with homes reduced to rubble, cars overturned, and even the city water tower knocked down.

“Survivors of Mississippi tornadoes crawled under furniture and held onto their kids Survivors of Mississippi tornadoes crawled under furniture and held onto their kids BOGUE CHITTO, Miss”

Associated Press

The National Weather Service office in Jackson gave the storm a preliminary EF-4 rating, saying in a tweet that the tornado had maximum wind gusts between 265 km/h and 320 km/h.

Associated Press

In Rolling Fork, a town of about 2,000 residents, streets were described as resembling a “war zone,” and Governor Tate Reeves called the damage “devastating” as help began to organize on Sunday.

Mississippi emergency services (MSEMA) said the death toll on Sunday morning remained at 25 with dozens injured, while also noting the figure was still subject to change, and the National Weather Service said the tornado lasted one hour and ten minutes and covered nearly 95 km.

De’Nashia Young recounted to FOX Weather Meteorologist Ian Oliver that she hunkered down in a storm shelter in Purvis, Mississippi, when a dangerous tornado barreled toward her father’s business.

Young’s account, framed with the phrase “EVERYTHING’S GONE,” described how, when she emerged, the scene left behind was unrecognizable.

BBC

Governor Tate Reeves said on Twitter that “This is a tragedy,” referring to “devastating damage” after tornadoes traveled across Mississippi for more than 150 kilometers from west to east.

In Rolling Fork, the mayor Eldridge Walker told CNN, “My city is no more,” adding that while several victims had been located and removed from debris to be taken to hospitals, “you cannot replace a life.”

President Joe Biden ordered on Sunday the deployment of federal aid for temporary housing, repair work, and low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses, after assuring on Saturday that the federal government would do “everything it can to help,” “for as long as it takes.”

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The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said new severe weather was expected Sunday evening, with enhanced risks of dangerous weather conditions and destructive gusts and tornadoes possible.

In Rolling Fork, the American Red Cross occupied a National Guard building where food and essential supplies arrived alongside cots, while electricians in pickups circulated to restore power as police cars moved through the town.

As the state braced for continuing tumultuous weather, MSEMA warned that “the possibility of tornadoes cannot be ruled out,” and the National Weather Service said tornado surveillance had been lifted across the entire area in question at 2:48 a.m.