Mississippi remains on tornado alert as damage begins to be measured

Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images

The state of Mississippi continues to alert for tornadoes that could occur in the next few hours in the southeastern United States, while the search for missing persons continues in the area most affected by the phenomena that occurred on Friday, which have caused at least 25 deaths.

The Mississippi Weather Service warned that new tornadoes could occur in the next few hours. although in the southern part of the state, not in the counties most affected by the events that occurred Friday night, Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe and Sharkey.

For its part, the National Weather Service reported that severe electrical storms will persist until tonight in a large part of the southern and southeastern states.

“Some strong tornadoes and hail can occur, particularly from central Louisiana to central/southern Alabama“, he pointed out through social networks. In Alabama, one person also died Friday from extreme weather events.

In a press conference, the governor of Mississippi, the Republican Tate Reeves, reported that they are “monitoring very closely” the possible meteorological phenomena in his state and that there are emergency personnel prepared to act if necessary.

“People should listen to their local officials and heed their warnings. and follow their instructions regarding what to do if a severe weather event is imminent.

Reeves explained that these types of storms are very frequent in the area and explained that since he was sworn in in January 2020, the federal government has officially declared 14 natural disasters.

The press conference was held in Rolling Fork Township, which has been completely destroyed, according to images released by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MSEMA), showing debris from homes (many of them wood), crushed vehicles and uprooted trees.

Funds to recover the area

The governor was accompanied at the press conference by the Secretary of National Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, who reiterated state support for the recovery of the areaa, a few hours after the president of the United States, Joe Biden, declared the affected counties this Sunday as a “great disaster” area.

Biden thus made federal funds available to affected people in Carroll countiesHumphreys, Monroe and Sharkey, and announced that the aid could be extended to other areas if necessary.

“We walked through the streets of this town seeing devastation on both sides of the road,” Mayorkas said. “It’s heartbreaking to hear about the loss of life and see the devastation firsthand, but it’s inspiring to see the people of Mississippi come together to help,” he added.

Governor Reeves explained that this storm and what made it so dangerous was that it came at night. “They are very hard to see when they come in the middle of the night and there tends to be more deaths,” he said.

After an initial figure of 23, yesterday the number of deaths was increased to 25 and until now it continues the same, although several missing persons are still being searched for. Four people who were missing turned up alive yesterday afternoon.

Reeves pointed out that there is “some chance that the numbers could go up” but that they could also go down since there are suspicions that some of the deaths did not occur “because of the storm.”

With your statement, Biden ordered federal aid to supplement recovery effortswith assistance that may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of disaster.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the agency designated to coordinate federal recovery operations in affected areas.while damage assessment work continues in other areas and more counties may be designated as aid recipients when completed.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety released today that donations are being accepted and items such as bottled water, canned food and paper products are greatly appreciated.

Keep reading:
• Joe Biden declares an emergency in Mississippi after tornadoes and sends federal aid
• The death toll from tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama rises to 26
• Powerful tornado in Mississippi leaves 23 dead and destruction in its path