The US state of Mississippi was hit by a powerful tornado on Friday night, leaving at least 24 people dead and tens of thousands without power.
Although it is not yet clear if it was one or multiple tornadoes that struck the area, the tornado is believed to have been a “jumping tornado,” a single whirlwind that shoots away from the surface but touches down multiple times in other locations. Residents of Rolling Rock, a small town in western Mississippi, describe the devastation as never seen before.
The whirlwind has left great devastation in its wake in several towns, where it ripped out the windows of houses, trees and electricity poles. More people are believed to be trapped under the rubble of the destroyed buildings.
Search and rescue teams have begun cleaning operations in the area; however, they advised citizens to stay away from downed power lines, not to enter affected buildings or walk through flooded areas.
Meanwhile, neighboring states to the southern US are bracing for the impact of these powerful storms. In addition to the tornado, hail the size of golf balls and heavy rain were reported in other regions of the state of Mississippi.
For his part, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves tweeted about the situation and announced that search and rescue teams were offering medical help to those affected.
According to Sam Emmerson of the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology, he described the tornado as “extremely high caliber” and kicked up debris more than 30,000 feet.
