Saturday March 25, the Mississippi was crossed by a tornado and thunderstorms which killed at least 23 people according to Tate Reeves, the governor of this state in the South of the United States. “We know that many more (people) are injured. Search and rescue teams are still active.he added on Twitter.
According to the Mississippi State Emergency Services (MSEMA) speaking on the same social network, “Unfortunately, these numbers are expected to change” on the rise. “The State has deployed relief assets in Sharkey and Humphreys counties”about 110 kilometers north of the capital Jackson, Malary White of MSEMA told ABC.
“We have put the medical support system into action – increasing the number of ambulances and other emergency devices to help those affected”said Tate Reeves on Twitter.
Television footage showed flattened houses and lots of debris strewn across roads as emergency services tried to reach people in need of help. “My town no longer exists”lamented on CNN the mayor of Rolling Fork, a city of some 2,000 inhabitants in west-central Mississippi, particularly affected by the passage of the tornado.
The extent of the damage is not yet known.
According to ABC, at least 13 people died in Sharkey County, along with three in neighboring Carroll County and two others in Monroe County. Separately, a traffic cop in Silver City, Humphreys County, reported one person dead to ABC.
“As far as the extent of the damage is concerned, we won’t dispose of this until daybreak”said Malary White. “Our priority at this stage, especially for the emergency services, is to keep lives safe and locate people to verify that they are safe”she explained on the local channel WJTV, affiliated with CBS News.
Tornado warnings had been issued Friday, March 24 in several counties in that state, but on Saturday at 2:48 a.m. (0748 GMT), the branch of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Jackson had indicated that “tornado surveillance was lifted in the entire area concerned”. “New showers and other thunderstorms are expected in our area”he had tweeted, pointing out that“they shouldn’t be strong according to the forecasts”.
