Mississippi ravaged by deadly tornadoes

by: Stacy Jacobson, Stuart Rucker

Posted: Mar 25, 2023 / 06:56 PM CDT

Updated: Mar 25, 2023 / 07:50 PM CDT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Silver City and Rolling Fork, Mississippi were hit hard by Friday night’s destructive tornadoes, with at least 25 people dead in Mississippi as well as dozens of others injured.

The National Weather Service out of Jackson, MS said the following, “The Rolling Fork/Silver City tornado has received a preliminary EF-4 rating. We still have a great amount of information to process, and we will provide additional details on this tornado as they are finalized.”

WREG has been following this heartbreaking devastation across these communities. Our Stacy Jacobson was in Silver City, about 3 hours from Memphis. The destruction observed is widespread and what does remain is badly damaged.

Residents are sharing their stories of survival in this tight-knit community of Silver City, which only has about 300 people. They said it only took about 10 seconds for a tornado to rip through Friday night. After that, it was about 8 p.m., and residents began to check in on their neighbors.

We also talked with people who were giving out relief supplies. They’re giving out things like food, toiletries, and diapers. After all of the devastation, it was so bad that many people have been left with nothing.

If you or someone you know would like to help out, they’re asking if anyone can donate materials and supplies as well as tarps so that people can use them to cover their homes or what’s left of them.

Residents are expecting rain in the coming days, and they said what they really need in Silver City are tarps so people can protect what is left of their property

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President Joe Biden shared his thoughts on the storms this evening and in a statement he said,

“The images from across Mississippi are heartbreaking. While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know that many of our fellow Americans are not only grieving for family and friends, they’ve lost their homes and businesses.

Today, I reached out to Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, and have spoken to Senator Wicker, Senator Hyde-Smith, and Congressman Bennie Thompson to express my condolences and offer full federal support as communities recover from the effects of this storm. I also spoke to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who has already deployed emergency response personnel and resources to support search-and-rescue teams, assess the damage, and focus our federal support where it is needed most quickly.

To those impacted by these devastating storms, and to the first responders and emergency personnel working to help their fellow Americans: we will do everything we can to help. We will be there as long as it takes. We will work together to deliver the support you need to recover.“

Governor Tate Reeves has declared a state of emergency and the governor has also requested an expedited timeframe for a Major Disaster Declaration due to the severity of the damage and loss of life.

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