Saturday March 25, 2023 | 4:30 p.m.
A powerful tornado tore through rural Mississippi and Alabama late Friday night, killing at least 23 people, according to figures released by The Washington Post, destroying buildings and knocking out power as severe weather that produced hail from golf balls moved through several southern states and prompted authorities to warn some on their way. that they were in a “life-threatening situation.”
Search and rescue operations are underway in Sharkey and Humphreys counties, about 110 kilometers north of Jackson, the state capital, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said, according to ABC.
The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado caused damage a few miles northeast of Jackson, Mississippi. The rural towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork reported destruction as the tornado moved northeast at 70 mph without weakening, moving toward Alabama through towns including Winona and Amory overnight.
Sharkey County Coroner Angelia Easton said 23 people were killed by the tornado in Mississippi. Rolling Fork is located in Sharkey County.
ABC News reported six other deaths early Saturday, including three in Carroll County, two in Monroe County and one in Humphreys County, citing county coroners and a Mississippi Highway Patrol trooper.
The National Weather Service issued a warning as the storm hit that didn’t pull any punches: “To protect your life, TAKE COVER NOW!”
“You are in a situation that endangers your life,” he warned. “Flying debris can be deadly to those trapped without shelter. Mobile homes will be destroyed. Considerable damage to homes, businesses and vehicles is likely, and total destruction is possible.”
Cornel Knight told The Associated Press that he, his wife and their 3-year-old daughter were at a relative’s home in Rolling Fork when the tornado struck. He said the sky was dark but “you could see the direction of every blowing transformer.”
He claimed he was “eerily quiet” while this was happening. Knight said he watched from a doorway until the tornado was, he estimated, less than a mile away. He then told everyone in the house to take refuge in a hallway.
He said the tornado struck another family member’s home across a wide cornfield from where he was standing. A wall in that house collapsed, trapping several people inside. When Knight spoke to the AP by phone, he said he could see the lights of emergency vehicles at the partially collapsed house.
Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker told WLBT-TV he was unable to leave his damaged home shortly after the tornado struck because power lines were down. He said emergency services were trying to get injured people to hospitals. He did not immediately know how many people had been injured.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a Twitter post late Friday that search and rescue teams were active and authorities were dispatching more ambulances and emergency resources to those affected.
“Many in MS Delta need your prayers and God’s protection tonight,” the post read. “Watch the weather reports and stay cautious overnight, Mississippi!”
Forecasters saw a high tornado risk for the region in general, not the specific area, up to a week in advance.
