The wreckage of crushed homes and cars are seen after a tornado struck in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 25, 2023. AFP
The US state of Mississippi is gearing up for a new storm this Sunday after several tornadoes devastated the region and killed at least 25 people.
Governor Tate Reeves tweeted Friday night about the “devastating damage” caused by the tornado that swept more than 150 kilometers from west to east in Mississippi.
Twenty-five dead and dozens injured remain, according to the State Emergency Service (MSEMA). Four people reported missing have been found, he added.
Rescuers continue to search for victims.
Aerial view of the devastated area of Rolling Fork, Mississippi after a tornado hit the area on March 25, 2023.AFP
President Joe Biden on Sunday ordered federal aid to be rolled out to states aimed at subsidizing temporary housing, home improvement, and reduced loans to cover losses from uninsured property.
In an earlier statement, the president said he had seen “heartbreaking” images and stressed that the government would “help as much as possible” as long as it was “necessary”.
Severe weather conditions are expected in the area this Sunday with strong winds and hail. The Crisis Management Agency warned, “We cannot deny the possibility of a tornado.”
In Rolling Fork, a city of about 2,000 people in western Mississippi, there were demolished homes, rubble-strewn streets and overturned cars. The ground was also strewn with trees.
About 4,800 residents in Mississippi lost power, while about 11,000 homes and businesses remained dark in neighboring Alabama, according to the website poweroutage.us.
This still image from video taken by storm chaser Lloyd Bridges on March 25, 2023 and released on Eurovision newswire shows the tornado damage to Rolling Fork.AFP
“My city is gone”
“Almost everything was destroyed” in the city, Patricia Perkins, a 61-year-old neighbor, told AFP by phone.
“Tornado hunter” Aaron Rigsby, who arrived at the scene Friday night, explained that he could “hear people trapped in the rubble screaming for help.”
“There was a woman who couldn’t evacuate in time and was trapped and the roof of her house was falling down,” he told AFP by telephone. “I managed to rescue her from the debris,” he added, injuring her leg.
Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker told CNN that multiple victims were found and taken to hospital from the rubble.
“My city is gone,” he lamented.
“A demolished house can be put back together, but a life cannot be put back together,” he added.
#OnVideo l U.S. President Joe Biden said Sunday that a tornado that left at least 25 dead (plus one in Alabama) and extensive property damage swept through several counties in the Mississippi state. approved the official declaration of the European Press pic.twitter.com/tPQQw2MvuM
– World newspaper (@ElMundoSV) March 26, 2023
1 dead in Alabama
At least 13 people were killed in Sharkey County, three in Carroll County and two in Monroe, according to ABC Television.
A Silver City police officer told ABC that one of the city’s most affected people has died.
A heavy rainstorm in Alabama killed a man after his trailer overturned, Morgan County officials said.
Mallory White, spokesperson for MEMA Emergency Services, told WJTV, “The top priority now, especially for local first responders, is to keep people safe and save lives. to identify the position.
Tornadoes are unpredictable and striking weather phenomena that are common in the United States, especially in the central and southern regions.
About 80 people died after a tornado passed through Kentucky in December 2021.
Source: Diario.Elmundo
