President Joe Biden declared Mississippi a natural disaster area after an EF-4 tornado blazed through Rolling Fork on Friday. Sunday, the state is expected to experience even more tornadoes. In his statement, he said that he's been in close contact with the state's Republican governor and the disaster declaration will help aid in the cleanup and services to the people in the state.
The “city is gone,” said Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker.
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson similarly told CNN, “The police department is destroyed. City Hall is destroyed. The county courthouse is damaged. The fire department is devastated. There’s no grocery store that’s operable in the community.”
While tornado season is generally in the spring for the middle part of the country, there have always been storms that spin up in the southeastern United States in late winter and early spring. Since 2000, a larger number of tornadoes have been hitting Mississippi, according to data from The Clarion-Ledger Tornado Archives. Since 2000, there have been at least five years that had over 100 tornadoes in the state. Since 1950, tornadoes in the state have cost $2,959,066,730 in property damage and $96,974,500 in crop damage.
The New York Times reported that among the youngest known victims was 1-year-old Riley Herndon, whose close family lived near Wren for generations. They've been in the city for so long that they named the street after them. Today, they're mourning their baby.
Using a satellite map above the city of Rolling Fork, and comparing that with the photo of the same town after the tornado, the path the tornado took is clearly visible.
After 26 people died in Mississippi and Alabama, a “large and extremely dangerous tornado” struck south of LaGrange, Georgia, on Sunday morning, CNN reported, citing the weather service in Atlanta. The weather service is warning of another outbreak predicted for the rest of Sunday.
"As many as 100 homes were damaged, with 30 to 40 'completely destroyed,'" the report said, citing Troup County Emergency Management Director Zachary Steele.
Bill Newsom, the Sharkey County Board of Supervisors told CNN's Jim Acosta, that the tornado took out their tornado warning system. So, as storms begin on Sunday, there's no way to warn people in the city.
Those that often help in the event of disasters are jumping to help. Chef Jose Andreas' World Central Kitchen is sending its team to the region to bring meals to families in both Mississippi and Alabama. Donations can be sent here.
GlobalGiving Southeast Tornado Relief Fund has also been set up to help.
A list of the various United Way branches in Mississippi can be found here. Donations to the Mississippi Red Cross can be sent here. The Mississippi Animal Rescue League can be found here, and the Stone County Humane Society can be found here.
The United Way of Central Alabama can be found here. The Red Cross of Alabama can be found here. The Alabama SPCA can be found here.
To help those in Georgia, you can give to the Georgia United Way branch of your choice, the Georgia Red Cross, or the Northwest Georgia ASPCA.
At one point, as the massive storm approached Amory, Mississippi, the meteorologist paused to pray for the town, knowing that it was going to be horrific.
The Twitter account of Ash Pro, a Christian animal rescue activist posted videos of animals in crates being put on planes to take them to safety. She said that they were traumatized but are on their way to a safer place.
One video of the tornado moving through Silver City was posted as the tornado was growing in strength. Silver City is almost three hours southwest of Amory and Wren.
You can see more of the Mississippi storm below or at the link here.
Rolling Fork, MS Tornado Survivor Describes Hearing Children Screaming For Help After Tornadowww.youtube.com
Footage of Alabama can be seen below or at the link here.
You can see footage of the Georgia storm below or at the link here.
