A powerful storm system unleashed at least one confirmed tornado across central Mississippi on Wednesday night, flattening hundreds of homes and leaving a trail of destruction across multiple counties. Authorities said Thursday that while damage assessments were still underway, no deaths had been reported from the outbreak, though several injuries were documented.
The tornado carved a path from eastern Lincoln county into Lawrence county, with the National Weather Service describing it as "a very large and dangerous tornado." The small community of Bogue Chitto in Lincoln county bore the brunt of the damage, with a mobile home park sustaining severe destruction.
Max Mahaffey, a resident of the affected area, recounted a harrowing few seconds when the storm struck. "I was just watching TikTok on my bed and thought it was thunder," he told WAPT-TV. "I went to my living room. I went back to my room, and the room's gone." Though Mahaffey escaped without injury, his grandmother suffered an ankle injury and neighbors sustained cuts and bruises.
Governor Tate Reeves confirmed that multiple tornadoes touched down throughout the central and western portions of the state, and said the Emergency Management Agency was coordinating response efforts. In a social media post, Reeves urged residents to "pray for Mississippi."
Local emergency officials in Lincoln county reported major damage across the region and urged residents to stay away from affected areas as crews worked to clear roads and assess the full scope of destruction. "Damage assessments are ongoing, there are multiple roads blocked in the county," the county emergency management department posted early Thursday, asking people "to please refrain from sightseeing as crews are working."
Forecasters warned that additional severe weather was expected to continue moving through the region Thursday, with the potential for additional tornadoes threatening parts of Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Strong storms were also possible for portions of the Carolinas and Texas.
Author James Rodriguez: "The speed of these storms catches people off guard, and that narrow window between noticing something's wrong and losing your home is terrifying."
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