Deadly Mississippi tornado, severe storms sweep South

Governor Tate Reeves and emergency officials are set to visit Sharkey County, which has been badly hit by tornadoes. Multiple state agencies are “responding to the devastating tornadoes” and MEMA said that their number one priority is ensuring life safety, with damage assessments beginning soon. Across Humphreys, Sharkey, Carroll, and Monroe counties, there have been 23 storm-related deaths as well as dozens of injuries and four people missing. The Mississippi Department of Transportation hub, located near Rolling Fork, was also damaged.

This area of Mississippi is no stranger to disaster, as shown by the destruction it faced due to the historic 2011 Mississippi River floods. Back then, the recovery effort was coordinated by FEMA, along with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and other organizations. That disaster continued for months, and recovery took even longer.

Federal resources are on their way, with a FEMA team heading to the region, according to MEMA. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that his department is “providing support to the impacted communities” via the team. The American Red Cross is also providing shelter, with Humphreys County temporarily housing people in its multipurpose building and the Red Cross setting up a shelter at the Greenville Multipurpose Center. They are also offering one thousand meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The damage to the MDOT hub near Rolling Fork is being assessed, and nearby roads have been damaged. “Some MDOT employees have damaged and/or lost homes in the Rolling Fork area,” MEMA said. Despite that, “some of those with damaged homes reported overnight to keep the area roads clear and safe.” The power company is carrying out repairs to low and damaged power lines. It is going to be a long road to recovery, but both state and federal resources are being directed to help those affected by the tragic events of the past few days.

The storms have not only affected Mississippi, but other parts of the Southeastern United States are also suffering. Alabama has suffered its own share of tragedies, with numerous injuries and a few lost lives. Georgia is also struggling with the damage from the storms, and Governor Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency for two counties due to floods. Life safety and recovery are the priorities for all these states, and help is being coordinated to ensure that affected people get the aid they need.



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