Mississippi Governor Left State After Tornados
“Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves traveled to Alabama for a Republican fundraising event as people in his state were still reeling from back-to-back tornadoes that killed one person, injured dozens and destroyed homes and businesses, and in the midst of lingering power outages from severe thunderstorms,” the AP reports.
Wed, June 21, 2023
LOUIN, Miss. – A large Mississippi poultry farm in the direct path of an EF-3 tornado was leveled earlier this week, leaving tens of thousands of chickens unsheltered.
The tornado that stuck Louin, in Jasper County, late Sunday was also responsible for killing at least one person and injuring 25 others. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said 72 homes were damaged in the county as well.
Videos from Louin after the tornado touched down around 11:40 p.m. CDT showed buildings that were destroyed, trees snapped like toothpicks and vehicles obliterated by the storm’s ferocious winds.
"We’ll be here for the long haul to support these communities and help them recover," the governor said. "I look forward to being with the people of Jasper County (Wednesday) and supporting them in this difficult time. Please continue praying for those affected."
DRONE VIDEO: FIRST GLIMPSE OF DEADLY MISSISSIPPI SUSPECTED TORNADO DAMAGE
Footage recorded by Christian M. Chevres Nevarez on Monday showed the aftermath at the poultry farm in Jasper County. Massive flocks of chickens could be seen in the video as they fluttered in place.
He added that the tornado left more than 1,000 chickens dead and more than 80,000 out in the open.
"It was sad to see what people lost," he said of the destruction following the tornado.
On Monday, the Jasper County Community Center opened its doors for all those displaced. The Red Cross was also on site helping those in need.
The National Weather Service office in Jackson said five tornado paths were identified from Sunday night and Monday morning's storms. Additional surveys are ongoing for damage that occurred with these storms and are expected to continue for at least a few days.
The NWS said the EF-3 tornado in Louin had estimated peak winds of 150 mph and was on the ground for nearly 8 miles.
Multiple tornadoes leave 1 dead and nearly 2 dozen injured in Mississippi
Michael Goldberg and Rogelio Solis
Tue, June 20, 2023
LOUIN, Miss. — Multiple tornadoes swept through Mississippi overnight, killing one and injuring nearly two dozen, officials said Monday.
State emergency workers were still working with counties to assess the damage from storms in which high temperatures and hail in some areas accompanied tornadoes. The death and injuries were reported by officials in eastern Mississippi's Jasper County.
The small, rural town of Louin bore the brunt of the damage. Drone footage and photos showed wide expanses of debris-covered terrain, decimated homes and mangled trees. At least one person was lifted from the wreckage in a stretcher.
Standing in front of his damaged home on Monday, Lester Campbell told The Associated Press that his cousin, 67-year-old George Jean Hayes, is the person who died. Reached by phone Monday, Jones County Coroner Don Sumrall said Hayes was pronounced dead at 2:18 a.m. from “multisystem trauma.”
Campbell fell asleep in his recliner Sunday evening. He was awakened around midnight after the lights went out. After he walked to the kitchen to grab something from the refrigerator, the tornado struck.
“It happened so fast," Campbell said. “It was like a train sound, a ‘roar, roar, roar.’”
He dropped to the floor and crawled to his bedroom closet, where his wife had already taken shelter. By the time he reached the closet, the tornado had passed.
Campbell said he heard calls for help across the street, where Hayes lived in a trailer home. He emerged from his home to find emergency workers carrying his cousin, with a bloodied forehead and leg, into an ambulance. She was conscious and talking when he saw her but died before reaching the hospital, he said.
Most of the people injured in Jasper County, including Hayes, were transported to the South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel between 2 and 3 a.m., said Becky Collins, a spokesperson for the facility. About 20 people had bruises and cuts. Most were in stable condition Monday morning.
Eric Carpenter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson, said an unseasonably strong jet stream blew through the area. A tornado emerged near Louin before traveling at least 7 miles (11 kilometers) south to Bay Springs.
Tornadoes typically hit Mississippi in early to mid-spring. Carpenter called the timing of the tornadoes, along with persistent thunder and hail as well as high temperatures, “a very unusual situation.”
“This is a whole different game here," Carpenter said. "What we would typically see in March and April, we're seeing in June.”
On March 24, a vicious tornado carved a path of destruction through parts of western and northern Mississippi, killing at least 26 and damaging thousands of homes. Some towns in the rural, poverty-stricken Mississippi Delta face a daunting task to rebuild.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday's tornadoes also struck Rankin County, which borders the capital city of Jackson. Emergency crews were doing search and rescue missions and damage assessments, deploying drones in some areas because they were impossible to reach by vehicle due to downed power lines.
On Monday afternoon, another possible tornado struck the south Mississippi town of Moss Point. Photos showed homes with obliterated roofs and tilted power lines. As high winds and heavy rain blanketed Jackson County, WLOX-TV reported that eight people were trapped inside a bank in downtown Moss Point. They were later rescued uninjured. The county remained under a flash flood warning Monday.
In a Monday news release, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said more than 49,000 homes in central Mississippi were without power. Tens of thousands of people in Hinds County, the most populous area of the state, were still without power Monday morning after high winds pummeled the state early Friday.
Reeves said the state is opening command centers and shelters for those displaced by the severe weather.
After fleeing his home Monday morning, Campbell returned to survey the damage. He arrived to find that half of the roof was gone, the garage destroyed and the windows shattered. He felt lucky compared to his neighbors.
“Most of the houses are gone. They are demolished. They’re done,” Campbell said.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi tornadoes leave 1 dead and nearly 2 dozen injured
Michael Goldberg and Rogelio Solis
Tue, June 20, 2023
LOUIN, Miss. — Multiple tornadoes swept through Mississippi overnight, killing one and injuring nearly two dozen, officials said Monday.
State emergency workers were still working with counties to assess the damage from storms in which high temperatures and hail in some areas accompanied tornadoes. The death and injuries were reported by officials in eastern Mississippi's Jasper County.
The small, rural town of Louin bore the brunt of the damage. Drone footage and photos showed wide expanses of debris-covered terrain, decimated homes and mangled trees. At least one person was lifted from the wreckage in a stretcher.
Standing in front of his damaged home on Monday, Lester Campbell told The Associated Press that his cousin, 67-year-old George Jean Hayes, is the person who died. Reached by phone Monday, Jones County Coroner Don Sumrall said Hayes was pronounced dead at 2:18 a.m. from “multisystem trauma.”
Campbell fell asleep in his recliner Sunday evening. He was awakened around midnight after the lights went out. After he walked to the kitchen to grab something from the refrigerator, the tornado struck.
“It happened so fast," Campbell said. “It was like a train sound, a ‘roar, roar, roar.’”
He dropped to the floor and crawled to his bedroom closet, where his wife had already taken shelter. By the time he reached the closet, the tornado had passed.
Campbell said he heard calls for help across the street, where Hayes lived in a trailer home. He emerged from his home to find emergency workers carrying his cousin, with a bloodied forehead and leg, into an ambulance. She was conscious and talking when he saw her but died before reaching the hospital, he said.
Most of the people injured in Jasper County, including Hayes, were transported to the South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel between 2 and 3 a.m., said Becky Collins, a spokesperson for the facility. About 20 people had bruises and cuts. Most were in stable condition Monday morning.
Eric Carpenter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson, said an unseasonably strong jet stream blew through the area. A tornado emerged near Louin before traveling at least 7 miles (11 kilometers) south to Bay Springs.
Tornadoes typically hit Mississippi in early to mid-spring. Carpenter called the timing of the tornadoes, along with persistent thunder and hail as well as high temperatures, “a very unusual situation.”
“This is a whole different game here," Carpenter said. "What we would typically see in March and April, we're seeing in June.”
On March 24, a vicious tornado carved a path of destruction through parts of western and northern Mississippi, killing at least 26 and damaging thousands of homes. Some towns in the rural, poverty-stricken Mississippi Delta face a daunting task to rebuild.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday's tornadoes also struck Rankin County, which borders the capital city of Jackson. Emergency crews were doing search and rescue missions and damage assessments, deploying drones in some areas because they were impossible to reach by vehicle due to downed power lines.
On Monday afternoon, another possible tornado struck the south Mississippi town of Moss Point. Photos showed homes with obliterated roofs and tilted power lines. As high winds and heavy rain blanketed Jackson County, WLOX-TV reported that eight people were trapped inside a bank in downtown Moss Point. They were later rescued uninjured. The county remained under a flash flood warning Monday.
In a Monday news release, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said more than 49,000 homes in central Mississippi were without power. Tens of thousands of people in Hinds County, the most populous area of the state, were still without power Monday morning after high winds pummeled the state early Friday.
Reeves said the state is opening command centers and shelters for those displaced by the severe weather.
After fleeing his home Monday morning, Campbell returned to survey the damage. He arrived to find that half of the roof was gone, the garage destroyed and the windows shattered. He felt lucky compared to his neighbors.
“Most of the houses are gone. They are demolished. They’re done,” Campbell said.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi tornadoes leave 1 dead and nearly 2 dozen injured
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