At least 26 people are dead and many more injured in Mississippi and Alabama after a powerful tornado tore through the Deep South, authorities said Saturday.
The severe weather outbreak left a 170-mile path of destruction, leaving thousands without power, obliterating buildings and wiping out large parts of the Mississippi towns of Rolling Fork and Silver City.
In a tweet Saturday afternoon, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MSEMA) confirmed the death toll had risen to 25, but warned the numbers were likely to rise as local and state search-and-rescue teams continued their work.
As cleanup is underway, the National Weather Service warned residents to “be careful near damaged buildings,” “watch out for power lines,” and to avoid walking or driving through floodwaters as “they can contain harmful bacteria, chemicals, sharp objects, live wires and reptiles/other animals.”
In and around Rolling Fork, three locations are now open for anyone seeking shelter following the storms. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be offered at all three shelters MSEMA said.
Earlier this year, a series of powerful tornadoes barreled through Alabama and Georgia, killing at least eight people.
With News Wire Services
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