Rolling Fork, MississippiAid began pouring into one of America’s poorest regions after a deadly tornado ripped a path of destruction across a large swath of Mississippi, even as furious new storms ripped through the Deep South on Sunday.
At least 26 people were killed and dozens more injured in Mississippi as the massive storm hit several cities late Friday. A man also died in Alabama after his mobile home flipped over multiple times.
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, issued an emergency declaration this Sunday morning, which enables federal financing for Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe and Sharkey counties, the most affected areas.
Search and recovery teams resumed the daunting task of digging through collapsed and battered homes, commercial buildings and municipal offices after hundreds of people were displaced.
Jarrod Kunze drove from his Alabama home to the hard-hit Mississippi town of Rolling Fork, ready to volunteer “in whatever capacity I am needed.”
“Everything I can see is in some state of destruction,” he said.
Kunze was among the volunteers working Sunday in an area preparing bottled water and other supplies for distribution.
The storm hit so fast that the sheriff’s department barely had time to sound warning sirens in the community of 2,000 residents, Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker said.
“And by the time they activated the siren, the storm had hit and knocked down the siren that is located right here,” Walker said, referring to an area a few blocks from downtown.
The mayor said that his city was devastated.
“Sharkey County, Mississippi, is one of the poorest counties in the state of Mississippi, but we are still resilient,” he said. “We have a long way to go, and we certainly thank everyone for their prayers.”
“Help is on the way,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said at a news conference with local, state and federal leaders.
