Mississippi Tornado Update: New Warning, Damage and More
(Photo : Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Residents of a Mississippi town devastated by a tornado resorted to prayer to cope with the possibility of years of reconstruction.
  • At least 26 people have been killed and dozens injured as a result of the Mississippi tornado
  • A tornado destroyed Mississippi's Amory High School
  • President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency, vowed federal assistance

After the tornadoes that killed 26 people in Mississippi, the governor has warned that more extreme weather might be on the way.

Governor Tate Reeves stated that sections of the state still posed substantial threats. Friday night's storms in Mississippi and Alabama have resulted in the displacement of hundreds of people.

Mississippi Tornado Death Toll

The mayor of one of the most severely damaged cities stated that he had lost friends in the disaster. The tornado on Friday was the worst in Mississippi in over a decade. At least twenty-five individuals have perished in the state, with one more death verified in neighboring Alabama.

The tornado, classed as "violent" and given the second-highest rating imaginable, has uprooted trees, tipped trucks into homes, and brought down power lines.

On Saturday, survivors of the accident were observed staggering around in a fog and state of shock. Sunday, though, has been bustling with activity. Per BBC, volunteers, including those from neighboring Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee, have assisted with the cleanup effort.

President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency and mobilized government resources to assist with rescue and relief efforts in some of the hardest-hit communities. With the magnitude of the destruction, it must not be easy to know where to begin. Thousands of people have lost power due to Friday's storm, and crews are trying to remove trees that have fallen on power lines.

Outside of the few partially standing structures, water and sandwiches are available at stations where water and sandwiches have been set up. Although local towns cope with the aftermath, further strong storms are predicted.

Read Also: Donald Trump's 'Death and Destruction' Warning Sparks Twitter Buzz

Video Depicts Mississippi Tornado Devastation

Meanwhile, as seen by CCTV footage, several kids were killed when a tornado struck Amory High School in Mississippi. The video depicts a piece of the ceiling falling, debris flying through the corridor, and electrical cables coming free.

The administrators at Amory High School reported on their Facebook page that the tornado may have caused gas leaks at the school. According to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, this is only one incident in the path of destruction caused by the massive tornado that has killed at least 25 individuals and injured "dozens" more.

CNN reported that Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi residents had lost power due to the storm, as a powerful tornado ripped over all three states. Rolling Fork, Mississippi, bore the brunt of the storm, as seen by social media photographs showing the area in ruins.

On Sunday, search, and recovery crews resumed digging through the debris of flattened and damaged homes, commercial buildings, and municipal offices after hundreds of people were displaced.

According to the Georgia Mutual Aid Organization, a tornado touched down early Sunday in Troup County, Georgia, near the Alabama border. The county seat of LaGrange, located approximately 67 miles (nearly 108 kilometers) southwest of Atlanta, was among the affected locations.

The Troup County Sheriff's Office responded to complaints of fallen trees, downed power lines, and damaged residences. A lost tiger was reported at the Pine Mountain Wild Animal Safari. The Troup County Sheriff's Office reported some cell service interruptions after a probable tornado impacted the region before daybreak on Sunday.

Following President Biden's declaration, federal funding may be used for recovery efforts in Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, and Sharkey counties in Mississippi, including temporary housing, home repairs, loans covering uninsured property losses, and other individual and business programs, according to a White House statement.

The tornado leveled entire streets, destroyed homes, overturned a church steeple, and brought down a municipal water tower. The National Weather Service's Jackson office tweeted late Saturday night that the tornado obtained a preliminary EF-4 classification based on early evidence.

According to the agency, an EF-4 tornado produces maximum wind gusts between 166 and 200 mph (265 kph and 320 kph). The Jackson office noted that it was still collecting data on the storm, as per NBC New York.

The tornado leveled a portion of the 2,000-person community of Rolling Fork, reducing homes to rubble and overturning automobiles. Several regions of the Deep South were repairing damage from additional probable tornadoes. According to a tweet from the local sheriff's office, a guy passed away in Morgan County, Alabama.

At a briefing, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported 25 confirmed deaths, 55 confirmed injuries, and 2,000 damaged or destroyed dwellings. Sunday was predicted to bring severe winds, hail, and storms to regions of Alabama and Georgia, according to the National Weather Service.

Related Article: At Least 26 Killed as Tornado Ravages Southern US State 

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