Rolling Fork MS

2023 - 3 - 24

Post cover — Image courtesy of "ABC News"

23 dead as 'destructive' tornado, storms batter Mississippi (ABC News)

At least 23 people died as a "destructive" tornado and strong thunderstorms swept across Mississippi late Friday, leaving a trail of damage for more than ...

There were a lot of people on the ground helping," O'Neal said in an interview on "GMA." "It seems as though the big ones hit at night and you don't have a warning for them," he said. "I hate to say it -- deceased people left and right," he said. Lots of people out there in the community helping, police, fire, rescue, other storm chasers. As thunderstorms battered the state late Friday, a tornado was reported at about 8:50 p.m. Search and rescue operations were underway in Sharkey and Humphreys counties, Mississippi's Emergency Management Agency said Friday.

Mississippi tornado live updates: At least 23 dead, including Rolling ... (Jackson Clarion Ledger)

According to Mississippi Emergency Management, at least 23 are dead and dozens injured from Friday's tornado that swept across the state.

Please join me in praying for the family and friends of those who lost loved ones in this trying time." Covington County EMS sent ambulances to Rolling Fork on Saturday, and Pafford Ambulance Service is providing a mobile hospital and support staff at the National Guard Armory in Rolling Fork. The Red Cross is also providing food to those in need, including one thousand meals for breakfast, one thousand meals for lunch and one thousand meals for dinner. "I'm devastated by the destruction and loss of life that these storms have caused," Reeves said in a statement. ""I just spoke with President Biden about the deadly tornados we faced overnight. According to MEMA, patients from the hospital were transferred to other hospitals and nursing facilities in the area. The extent of that damage is unknown, but no casualties from the hospital have been reported as of 10:20 a.m. A FEMA Team is also "en route" to the state. We're not going anywhere and we're in it for the long haul. The businesses we rely on are gone. Early media reports Friday night indicated that the Sharkey-Issaquena Community Hospital had been impacted by the storm. The initial tornado touched down for at least 80 miles.

23 dead as 'destructive' tornado, storms batter Mississippi, officials say (WLS-TV)

At least 23 people are dead after storms and a Mississippi tornado, officials said. A Rolling Fork and Silver City, MS tornado was reported on Friday.

There were a lot of people on the ground helping," O'Neal said in an interview on "GMA." Crews from Itawamba County are coming from the north to assess damage in Smithville and cut any trees across the road on their way to Amory," Mississippi State Emergency Operations Center said in a press release. "It seems as though the big ones hit at night and you don't have a warning for them," he said. Through @FEMA, DHS will provide support to the impacted communities as we work together to respond and recover from this disaster," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a Tweet. Please join me in praying for the family and friends of those who lost loved ones in this trying time." "I hate to say it -- deceased people left and right," he said. "I'm devastated by the destruction and loss of life that these storms have caused," Reeves said in a statement. He went on, "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. "Many in the MS Delta need your prayer and God's protection tonight," Gov. "The images from across Mississippi are heartbreaking. Search and rescue is active." Search and rescue operations were underway in Sharkey and Humphreys counties, Mississippi's Emergency Management Agency said.

Mississippi tornadoes cause death, destruction: Photos show ... (USA TODAY)

Dozens of people were reported dead or injured and the town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, was essentially flattened by the storm, officials say.

Census data](https://data.census.gov/profile/Rolling_Fork_city,_Mississippi?g=160XX00US2863560). The city is a part of Sharkey County, [which is home to less than 4,000 people](https://data.census.gov/profile/Sharkey_County,_Mississippi?g=050XX00US28125). Harden and her husband bought the decades-old diner 16 years ago, and it was a hub for the Rolling Fork community, she said. [according to the National Weather Service](https://twitter.com/nws/status/1639669992307191808?s=46&t=wIupLqQQKCQlBTzZig4rpA). On Friday night, a violent storm swept northeastward across much of Mississippi and Alabama. [according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency](https://twitter.com/MSEMA/status/1639589482189008896?cxt=HHwWgMC99c78_sAtAAAA).

Large wedge tornado travels for miles, leaving trail of damage ... (WAPT Jackson)

At least 13 people were killed by Friday night's tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama, including seven confirmed deaths in Sharkey County.

Mississippi hit by tornado: 7 dead as Rolling Fork, Silver City report ... (al.com)

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said search and rescue teams were active and officials were sending more ambulances and emergency assets.

The Storm Prediction Center warned the greatest threat of tornadoes would come in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Meanwhile, the search continued in another southwestern Missouri county for a woman who was missing after flash flooding from a small river washed a car off the road. Earlier Friday a car was swept away and two passengers drowned in southwestern Missouri during torrential rains that were part of a severe weather system. Four of the six made it out of the water. The body of Devon Holt, 20, of Grovespring, was found at 3:30 a.m., and the body of Alexander Roman-Ranelli, 19, of Springfield, was recovered about six hours later, Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. More than a half-dozen shelters were opened in the state by emergency officials. The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center put out a long-range alert for the area on March 19, he said. Cornel Knight told The Associated Press that he, his wife and their 3-year-old daughter were at a relative’s home in Rolling Fork when the tornado struck. Some law enforcement units were unaccounted for in Sharkey, according to the the newspaper. What’s more this a night-time wet one which is “the worst kind,” he said. Knight said he watched from a doorway until the tornado was, he estimated, less than a mile away. The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado caused damage about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northeast of Jackson, Mississippi.