The state of Mississippi, in the southern United States, is preparing for new storms this Sunday after several tornadoes devastated the region and left at least 25 dead.
“This is a tragedy,” Governor Tate Reeves said on the social network Twitter, referring to the “devastating damage” caused Friday night by tornadoes that struck more than 100 miles west to east of the state of Mississippi.
The incident has already resulted in some 25 deaths and dozens of injuries., according to the state emergency services (MSEMA). Four people reported missing have since been found, he added. Rescue teams, however, continue to search for the victims.
President Joe Biden this Sunday ordered the rollout of federal aid to the state, targeting grants for transitional housing, home repairs and reduced-rate loans to cover damage to uninsured property.
In a statement, the president said he had seen “heartbreaking” images and stressed that the government will “do everything possible to help” in whatever “needs”.
There are forecasts of bad weather conditions for this Sunday in the region, with strong winds and hail. The emergency management agency warned that “the possibility of tornadoes cannot be ruled out”.
Rolling Fork, a town of about 2,000 in the western state of Mississippi, saw rows of collapsed houses, streets full of rubble and overturned cars. There were also trees scattered on the ground.
According to the website poweroutage.us, about 4,800 residents in Mississippi were without power and nearly 11,000 homes and businesses in Alabama were without power.
“My City Is Gone”
“Almost everything was destroyed” in the city, Patricia Perkins, a 61-year-old resident, told AFP. “Most of the stores were razed to the ground” by the tornado, this hardware store employee explains.
Aaron Rigsby, a “tornado investigator,” explained that he arrived at the scene Friday night and “heard screams from people trapped in the debris calling for help.”
“There was a lady who couldn’t take shelter in time and was trapped, the roof of her house fell on her,” he told AFP by phone. “I managed to free her from the rubble,” but she injured her leg, he added.
Several victims were located and pulled from the rubble to be taken to hospital, Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker told CNN. “My city is gone,” he lamented. “Houses that have been demolished can be replaced, but we cannot replace life,” he stressed.
One dead in Alabama
At least 13 people were killed in Sharkey County, another three in Carroll County and two in Monroe, according to ABC television.
A Silver City police officer also informed ABC of the death of one person in this city, one of the hardest hit.
In Alabama, the storms were also violent and a man died when his car overturned, Morgan County officials announced.
“Our top priority right now, especially for local first responders, is keeping people alive and locating them to make sure they are safe,” MSEMA emergency services spokesperson Malory White told WJTV.
Tornadoes, a meteorological phenomenon as impressive as they are difficult to predict, are common in the United States, especially in the center and south of the country.
In December 2021, about 80 people died after tornadoes swept through the state of Kentucky.
Source: DN
