Mississippi Gov. declares state of emergency in wake of deadly tornadoes
The Governor of Mississippi, Tate Reeves, has declared a state of emergency after 24 twisters tore through the state killing dozens, injuring others and leaving a trail of destruction likened to a ‘war zone.’
The powerful tornadoes spawned from a storm that carved a ferocious path northeastward across Mississippi and parts of Alabama at 80mph, according to AccuWeather.
Authorities have said that they expect that number to rise however, as search-and-rescue crews continue to sift through the rubble left behind by the ferocious weather system.
The rural towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork, about 60 miles northeast of Jackson, Mississippi, bore the brunt of damage from a tornado that hit the area just after 8 pm Friday.
Reeves arrived in Rolling Fork on Saturday along with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He said that he has the full support of U.S. president Joe Biden who assured him over the phone that FEMA would be there to ‘support’ the response.
Biden said that he and First Lady Jill Biden are ‘praying for those who have lost loved ones in the devastating tornadoes in Mississippi and those whose loved ones are missing.’
He acknowledged that he’d spoken to Reeves, as well as I spoke with U.S. Senator for Mississippi, Roger Wicker, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and U.S. representative for Mississippi’s 2nd congressional district Bennie Thompson.
‘To express my condolences and offer full federal support,’ he said.
Source of data and images: dailymail
