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US News

State of emergency declared for Mississippi after tornado leaves death, destruction

By
Stephanie Pagones
Published March 26, 2023
Updated March 26, 2023, 3:10 p.m. ET
Search and Rescue efforts are underway after a tornado devastated Mississippi. A grandmother holds her granddaughter in front of remains of her mother's tornado-demolished mobile home in Rolling Fork, Miss., on March 25, 2023.
Search and rescue efforts are underway after a tornado devastated Mississippi. A grandmother holds her granddaughter in front of remains of her mother's tornado-demolished mobile home in Rolling Fork, Miss., on March 25, 2023. AP

President Joe Biden on Sunday issued a state of emergency declaration for Mississippi as the state reels from a massive tornado with wind gusts up to 200 miles-per-hour that left a trail of death and destruction.

The death toll in the devastating tornado that tore through rural Mississippi and Alabama rose to 26, with dozens more injured and entire blocks flattened by the strength of the storm.

Biden’s Sunday declaration makes federal funds available to the hardest-hit areas – Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe and Sharkey counties – which encompass one of the poorest regions in the US. Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell was expected to visit the state later Sunday.

The remains of crushed house and cars are seen in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 25, 2023.
The remains of a crushed house and cars are seen in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 25, 2023. AFP via Getty Images
Charlie Weissinger tosses away the paneling from one of the desks in his father's demolished law office in Rolling Fork, Miss., on March 25, 2023.
Charlie Weissinger tosses away the paneling from one of the desks in his father’s demolished law office in Rolling Fork, Miss., on March 25, 2023. AP

At least 25 people were killed in Mississippi; Alabama officials have reported one death so far.

The White House has said the new federal funding will be available for the counties’ recovery efforts, such as home repairs, temporary housing, loans and other programs.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service is warning of possibly more severe weather Sunday in parts of Louisiana, south central Mississippi and south central Alabama.

A grandmother and her granddaughter sort through belongings in the wreckage of Shirley home after tornadoes ripped across the state in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 25, 2023.
A grandmother and her granddaughter sort through belongings in the wreckage of their home after tornadoes ripped across the state in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 25, 2023. REUTERS
An injured man sits inside a makeshift clinic and relief center in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 25, 2023,
An injured man sits inside a makeshift clinic and relief center in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 25, 2023. AFP via Getty Images
Melanie Childs of Amory, Miss., sits on a bucket and holds her two children, Mila, 1, left, and Major, 2, as they view whats left of her grandfather, Barrie Young, home Saturday 25, 2023.
Melanie Childs of Amory, Miss., sits on a bucket and holds her two children, Mila, 1, left, and Major, 2, as they view whats left of her grandfather’s home on March 25, 2023. AP

The NWS gave Friday’s tornado a preliminary EF-4 rating, which brings wind gusts of up to 200 mph.

The Mississippi town of Rolling Fork, which boasts a population of roughly 2,000 people, saw devastation that left homes in pieces, cars flipped and its water tower toppled.

Rodney Porter lives 20 miles south of the town, but drove there to assist in the wake of the storm. He was greeted by “total devastation,” the sounds of people screaming for help and the smell of natural gas, he said.

A sheriff's deputy climbs onto a pile of wind-tossed vehicles to search for survivors or the deceased at Chuck's Dairy Bar in Rolling Fork, Miss., Saturday, March 25, 2023.
A sheriff’s deputy climbs onto a pile of wind-tossed vehicles to search for survivors in Rolling Fork, Miss., on March 25, 2023. AP
An aerial view of the town of Rolling Fork after thunderstorms spawning high straight-line winds and tornadoes ripped across the state in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, U.S., March 25, 2023.
An aerial view of the town of Rolling Fork after thunderstorms spawning high straight-line winds and tornadoes ripped across the state in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 25, 2023. REUTERS
Tracy Hardin, center, who with her husband Tim, left, own Chuck's Dairy Bar, consoles a neighbor in Rolling Fork, Miss., Saturday, March 25, 2023.
Tracy Hardin (c), who with her husband Tim (L), owns Chuck’s Dairy Bar, consoles a neighbor in Rolling Fork, Miss., on March 25, 2023. AP

“Houses are gone, houses stacked on top of houses with vehicles on top of that,” Porter said.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has declared a state of emergency and said he spoke with Biden in the aftermath of the storm.

With Post wires.