Mississippi emergency services reported the deaths of 23 people this Saturday from tornadoes that swept through the state on Friday night, destroying buildings and leaving several southern states without power. “We can confirm 23 dead, dozens injured and 4 missing due to tornadoes last night. We have numerous state and local search and rescue teams still deployed this morning. A number of resources are on site to assist those affected,” the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said in a Twitter message earlier today.
Morning update from 6:20am:
We can confirm 23 dead, dozens injured and 4 missing from last night’s tornadoes. We have numerous local and state search and rescue teams operating this morning. A number of resources are on site to help those affected— msema (@MSEMA) March 25, 2023
The National Weather Service cast on Friday via his Twitter account Tornado vigils in the states of Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee and confirmed that one of them caused damage about 60 kilometers northeast of Jackson, the Mississippi capital, wreaking havoc in the towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork and then penetrating through towns in Alabama like Winona and Amory.
One of the warnings issued in the area when the storm hit, picked up by the Associated Press, was outspoken: “To protect your life, HIDE COVER NOW!” You are in a life-threatening situation,” it said. “Flying debris can be deadly for people without protection. Mobile homes are destroyed. Significant damage to homes, businesses and vehicles is likely, and complete destruction is possible,” she added.
Images from WeatherNation, a meteorological news channel, show the massive damage caused by tornadoes in the Rolling Fork, Mississippi area. Emergency authorities have warned the death toll is likely to rise as rescue teams gain access to affected areas.
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Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves expressed his condolences in a message on Twitter this Saturday: “At least 23 Mississippi residents were killed by violent tornadoes last night. We know there are many more injured. Search and rescue teams remain active. The loss will forever be felt in these cities. Please pray that the hand of God will be upon all those who have lost family and friends.”
The damage in the Rolling Fork was so severe that several tornado hunters, who track the adverse weather conditions and broadcast these phenomena live, asked for help with the search and rescue efforts. Others called off the hunt to take the wounded to hospitals themselves.
One of them, Aaron Rigsby, uploaded to his Twitter account Stunning images of the trail of destruction left by tornadoes in the Rolling Fork. Houses were reduced to rubble, cars were overturned after being blown up, trees were crushed and all manner of damage was done. It’s a poor county with a majority black population and many people live in manufactured homes or trailers that are less resilient to the storm.
Deadly tornadoes are common in the central United States. They often hit states like Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri or Kentucky. They are an event created by the crossing of two hot air currents: a dry one coming in from the west and a wet one rising from the Gulf of Mexico. About 1,000 tornadoes occur each year.
Although most tornadoes occur in the spring months (52% of the total), particularly April (22.5%), the south-east of the country has a secondary tornado season in November and December. Some of the most damaging and deadly tornadoes have formed just in the last few months of the year. In December 2021, a series of tornadoes in six states in the central and southern United States caused nearly a hundred deaths.
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