Two Dozen Fatalities Reported in South After Friday Tornadic Outbreak

Posted: March 26, 2023 1:29 pm

One dozen tornadoes tore through Mississippi on Friday, leading to at least 26 deaths. The town of Rolling Fork was the epicenter of the destruction after a large twister destroyed a number of homes and businesses and left residents trapped in the rubble. Dozens of other people were injured as a result of the violent storms.

Mississippi Bore Brunt of Storms

Rolling Fork is located approximately 60 miles northwest of Jackson, Mississippi. The tornado carved a path in a northeasterly direction traveling at a speed of 50 mph. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said that it had deployed multiple state and local search and rescue teams to look for those people still reported missing in the aftermath of the tornadoes.

The twister hit after the sun had already gone down for the day, forcing crews to use spotlights to try to find the storm victims. The area in and around Rolling Fork saw at least four tornadoes on the ground within a time period of just two hours late Friday.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves warned that there may be more injuries as crews continue to comb through the rubble and look for victims. U.S. President Joe Biden also weighed in on the tragedy, confirming that his office had reached out to Reeves to offer support as the impacted communities deal with the aftermath.

Residents in Rolling Fork said that they had little warning about the incoming storm. Famous storm chaser Reed Timmer had to take a break from reporting on the tornado to take people to the hospital.

Not long after the emergency in Rolling Fork, another tornado was reported in the areas of Sidon, North Carrollton, and Tchula, Mississippi. About an hour later, a third tornado warning was issued in an area encompassing the Mississippi communities of Winona, Vaiden, and Eudora. Lastly, a warning went out for the eastern Mississippi towns of Aberdeen, Amory, and Smithville.

Another fatality was confirmed in Alabama after a man was trapped in his mobile home.

Tornadoes Tear Through Texas to Start the Day

The deadly day got started early when two EF1 twisters were confirmed in Park County, Texas. The first event happened near the town of Whitt, only about 40 miles northwest of Fort Worth. The second tornado was reported moving through the town of Poolville and into the southern portion of Wise County. Fortunately, no deaths were reported as a result of these two tornadoes.

It was heavy rain and the subsequent flooding causing issues in Missouri. A vehicle carrying six adults was swept away by floodwaters near the town of Grovespring after the driver tried to cross a bridge over a creek that was overflowing its banks. Although four of the occupants made it to safety, two people lost their lives when they could not make it out of the rising waters.

Elsewhere in the state, crews are still looking for a woman that went missing near Granby. She was also in her vehicle when waters washed it off of the road.

Unfortunately for the South, more storms are on tap for Sunday and into the new week. While the middle of the week is forecast to bring a brief drying out period, more storms are predicted to fire up by Thursday or Friday.

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