Eldridge Walker, mayor of the small Mississippi town of Rolling Fork, gave an emotional interview on Saturday after a powerful tornado destroyed most of the town.
On Friday, a major storm system tore across parts of Mississippi and Northern Alabama, generating multiple tornadoes that have so far killed 23 people and resulted in widespread destruction and loss of electricity. Ahead of its arrival, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a warning that the storm represented “a life-threatening situation,” capable of generating winds powerful enough to move mobile homes and send deadly debris flying through the air. In addition to the deaths, dozens of people have been reported injured and four are currently missing, with further search and rescue efforts still underway.
One of the areas most heavily affected by one of the storm’s tornadoes was Rolling Fork, a town of fewer than 1,800 residents located northwest of the capital city, Jackson. On Saturday, Walker called in to CNN to discuss the devastation Rolling Fork suffered.
“Devastation, as I look from left to right, that’s all I see,” the mayor said. “A lot of families here are affected, a lot of families are hurting. This community is in a situation we never expected, but right now what’s important to me is that these folks are taken care of, that our families who have been trapped are rescued and taken to hospitals for emergency care.”
Walker continued: “My city…my city is gone. But we’re resilient, and we’re going to come back. We’re going to come back strong.”
Walker confirmed that “several” residents who had been trapped in their homes had been rescued and sent to receive triage care. He also said that he and his wife had taken cover in their home’s bathtub after seeing reports that the storm was approaching, and that their home was impacted as soon as they did so, remarking that the storm was “just that fast.”
On Saturday, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves issued statements on the impact of the storm on Twitter, confirming the current death toll and declaring a state of emergency.
“The loss will be felt in these towns forever,” Reeves said. “Please pray for God’s hand to be over all who lost family and friends.”
At least twenty three Mississippians were killed by last night’s violent tornados. We know that many more are injured. Search and rescue teams are still active.
The loss will be felt in these towns forever. Please pray for God’s hand to be over all who lost family and friends.
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) March 25, 2023
I have declared a State of Emergency in the Mississippi counties impacted by last night’s severe storms including tornadoes.
We will marshal every available resource on behalf of our neighbors in need. We’re here for the long haul. pic.twitter.com/yPENOSfZwr
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) March 25, 2023
Newsweek reached out to Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves’ office via email for further comment.
In the leadup to the storm hitting parts of Mississippi, Matt Laubhan, the chief meteorologist for local news station WTVA in Amory, became emotional while on the air and said a prayer in a clip that has since gone viral on social media.
“Here’s the thing about this, y’all trust me too much,” Lauhban said. “I tell you where it goes and some of you are like ‘that’s where it’s going to go,’ but the reality is this could be changing directions. So Amory, we need to be in our tornado-safe place.”
He continued, after the storm appeared to move closer to Amory: “We got a new scan coming in now as we speak, argh man, north side of Amory, this is coming in. Argh man, dear Jesus please help them, amen.”
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