23 people have died and dozens have been injured after a tornado swept through Mississippi and into Alabama Friday evening. Mississippi’s Silver City and Rolling Fork saw widespread destruction after the tornado moved through the towns at 70 miles per hour late Friday evening before reaching the Alabama towns of Winona and Armory hours later.
Rolling Fork’s mayor Eldridge Walker told CNN Saturday morning that the town had been obliterated.
“My city is gone. But we are resilient and we are going to come back strong,” Walker said.
State officials have also confirmed four individuals are still missing. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency tweeted Saturday morning at approximately 7am CT that the number of reported deaths and injuries are likely to change in coming hours.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) tweeted that he will be supporting a federal disaster declaration in order to secure further aid for affected residents. Beyond those directly impacted by the disaster, roughly 100,000 are without power across Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, The New York Times reported.
Video shows severe wreckage in Rolling Fork, including many destroyed structures and vehicles in the wake of the tornado.
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