Severe storms battered Mississippi overnight, killing 25 and killing another in Alabama, flattening hundreds of buildings and sparking at least one deadly tornado. Rescuers continued to search for survivors amid the rubble today.
Nicholas Price, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Jackson, Mississippi, said the tornado remained on the ground for regarding an hour, creating a path of destruction regarding 270 kilometers long.
Rolling Fork, a small town of regarding 1,700 people in western Mississippi, was the hardest hit. Videos taken locally showed that the roofs of homes were blown away, leaving only bricks and tiles, and strong tree trunks like twigs The car was broken, the car dumped on the side of the road, and the water tower in the town was also twisted and lying on the ground.
And in Silver City, a city of regarding 300, survivors described how they escaped by locking themselves in indoor rooms and curling up in bathtubs when the tornado struck.
Tim and Tracy Harden, who own a diner in Rolling Fork, posted on Facebook that they were a minute before the tornado hit and knocked down their building. Take refuge in a walk-in freezer.
Tracy Harden, 48, told USA TODAY that a total of eight of them hid in the freezer. She said that the tornado came so quickly that a group of people rushed in when they heard someone yelling “freezer”. Her husband, Tim, hadn’t closed the door of the freezer, and he might see through the crack of the door that there was only blue sky outside, and “the roof has been blown off.”
After the tornado passed, a customer who survived the storm cleared the debris from the freezer door, freeing Trish and seven others. Trish said that all those who hid in the freezer were unharmed.
US President Joe Biden described the images from Mississippi as “heartbreaking”. He issued a statement saying that he spoke with Governor Tate Reeves, conveyed his condolences and expressed the full support of the federal government for the rebuilding efforts. You are with me.” Central News Agency 0325
