Tornadoes in Mississippi kill 23

ROLLING FORK, Mississippi (AP) — Emergency officials in Mississippi said 23 people have been killed in tornadoes that tore through the state Friday night, destroying buildings and knocking out power. Storms with hail the size of golf balls struck several southern states.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency confirmed that as of 6:20 a.m. Saturday, there had been 23 deaths, four missing and dozens injured across the state. The agency tweeted that search and rescue teams from numerous state and local agencies were assisting those affected.

The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado caused damage about 100 kilometers northeast of Jackson, Mississippi. The rural towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork reported extensive damage from the tornado, which without weakening was heading towards Alabama at 113 km/h through Winona, Amory and other towns.

The service was not sparing in its warning: “To protect your life, TAKE CARE NOW!”

“Your life is in danger,” he warned. “Flying debris can be fatal for those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be destroyed. Serious damage to homes, businesses and vehicles is likely, and total destruction is possible.”

Cornel Knight told Associated Press that he, his wife, and their 3-year-old daughter were staying with relatives in Rolling Fork when the tornado hit. He recounted that the sky was dark, but “you could see the direction of it for every transformer that blew up.”

He indicated that everything was “absolutely silent” when it happened. Knight said he was on the driveway until the tornado was, he estimated, less than a mile away. He then asked everyone in the residence to take shelter in a hallway. He commented that the tornado hit the house of other relatives on the other side of a large cornfield from where they were. A wall of that residence collapsed and trapped several people. While Knight was on the phone with the PAindicated that he could see emergency vehicle lights at that residence.

Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker told television WLBT-TV that she was unable to leave her home immediately after the tornado struck because of downed power lines. She said emergency workers were trying to get the injured to hospitals. She did not immediately know how many people had been injured.

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