The declaration will make federal funding accessible to the counties of Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, and Sharkey, which were hardest affected by the storm.
President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Mississippi after at least 26 people were slain by a tornado that ripped through the state.
The declaration will make federal funding available to the counties hardest affected by Friday’s deadly storm: Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, and Sharkey.
Despite dozens of injuries and hundreds of displacements, recovery personnel continues the arduous task of sifting through the rubble of destroyed buildings.
The massive storm destroyed one of the poorest US areas in an hour.
High winds obliterated entire neighborhoods, destroyed homes, toppled a church steeple and brought down a municipal water tower.
In Alabama, a man was killed when his trailer home overturned multiple times.
In eastern Louisiana, south-central Mississippi, and south-central Alabama, the risk of further severe weather. Including high winds, large hailstones, and the possibility of additional tornadoes, persists even as recovery efforts commence.
According to data from the National Weather Service, the tornado generated winds of 166 to 200 miles per hour.
People yelling for assistance in the dark
“I have no idea how anyone survived,” said Rodney Porter, who resides 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Rolling Fork.
When the storm struck on Friday night, he drove there promptly to assist in any way possible.
He arrived to discover “total devastation” and reported smelling gas and hearing cries for assistance in the darkness.
“Houses are gone, stacked on top of each other with automobiles on top,” he said.
Annette Body drove from adjacent Belozi to the devastated city of Silver City to assess the damage.
She felt “blessed” because her residence was not destroyed, whereas many of her acquaintances lost everything.
“I cried last night and this morning,” she said as she surveyed the demolished homes.
“They advised taking cover, but the event occurred so quickly that many people were unable to do so.”
Saturday, storm survivors, many of whom were dazed and in shock, combed densely piled detritus and downed trees with chainsaws, searching for anyone still trapped.
