At least 23 people died as a result of violent storms and at least one tornado that hit the southern U.S. state of Mississippi Friday night, officials said on Saturday (25).
The state’s disaster management agency, MEMA, said at least four people were missing and dozens injured, while thousands of customers in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee were left without power.
“At least 23 Mississippi residents were killed by violent tornadoes last night. We know many more have been injured. Search and rescue teams remain active,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said on Twitter.
“The loss will forever be felt in these cities. Please pray that God’s hand will be with all those who have lost family and friends.”
MEMA fears the death toll will “unfortunately” rise.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing in the Sharkey and Humphreys counties, about 70 miles north of Jackson, the state capital, the agency said on Twitter.
“My town is gone,” Eldridge Walker, Mayor of Sharkey County’s Rolling Fork, told WJTV. “What we find is devastation all around us.”
Gruesome
Woodrow Johnson, a Humphreys County official, told CNN that his wife woke him with a start from the noise. “It was a very scary thing,” Johnson said, adding that his neighbor’s trailer was “completely gone.”
The national weather service warned residents on Saturday that “risks remain even after the storms have passed.”
Television images showed destroyed homes and debris strewn across streets.
“We won’t have official damage figures until tomorrow,” said MEMA’s Malary White.
Jackson’s National Weather Service earlier Saturday said the tornado warning was over. “Additional rainfall and thunderstorms are expected throughout our area,” he tweeted, adding, “Not expected to be severe.”