The number of victims of the tornado that devastated Mississippi rises to at least 26, while dozens of people were injured. Numbers that “unfortunately are destined to rise”, admits the state agency for emergencies, while relief operations continue. About 100,000 people are still without electricity in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency over the tornado that wreaked havoc in his state.
Entire towns devastated, severe blackouts for tens of thousands of people. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing, particularly in the cities of Silver City and Rolling Fork, the latter described by one resident as “completely destroyed”. At least 13 people were killed about 60 miles northwest of Jackson in Sharkey County, where Rolling Fork is located, according to the county coroner.
A tornado, after 20 local time (2 in the morning in Italy), moved at about 80 kilometers per hour, knocking down trees and taking off the roofs of houses. Thousands of people were trapped in their homes and power went out not only in Mississippi but also in Alabama and Tennessee.
Some videos released on social media show trees and houses being knocked down, appliances and furniture washed away from homes by the water. The same “large and destructive” tornado, according to the National Weather Service, was reported near the community of Coila, which issued an additional warning for Rolling Fork, Silver City and nearby Anguilla. There have been at least 11 reports of tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama in the past 24 hours, according to the Center for Storm Forecasting. It is not yet clear whether the disaster was caused by a single tornado or by multiple tornadoes. Mississippi – Governor Tate Reeves tweeted – has activated all available medical support services.
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