US: At least 26 killed as powerful tornado rips Mississippi, Biden declares emergency

At least 26people have been killed after a powerful tornado hit parts of the United States’ Mississippi, late Friday (March 24), said the Governor of Mississippi. The storm has left a trail of damage for more than 100 miles (160 km), damaging buildings and knocking out power while the severe weather also produced hail the size of golf balls, as per media reports.

U.S. President Joe Biden approved declaration of emergency for Mississippi on Sunday after the powerful stormtore across the state, killing at least 25 people there and one in Alabama, reported Reuters.

A White House Statement said, Biden ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the affected areasand funding will be available to affected people in the counties of Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, and Sharkey.

The country’s National Weather Service confirmed a tornado caused damage about 60 miles (96 km) northeast of Jackson, Mississippi. While in the rural towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork, the tornado continued to move at the speed of 70 mph (113 kph) toward Alabama’s Winona and Amory, reported the Associated Press.

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Confirmingthe death toll, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said that search and rescue teams are in full swing. "We know that many more are injured. Search and rescue teams are still active. The loss will be felt in these towns forever,"he wrote on Twitter.

Coroner Angelia Easton told ABC News that at least 13 people had been killed in Mississippi’s Sharkey County which is located in Rolling Fork. Additionally, the news report citing coroners from different counties also confirmed two deaths in Monroe County and three in Carroll County. While a Mississippi Highway Patrol trooper said that one person had died in Silver City, reported ABC news.

Subsequently, the Governor of Mississippi, Tate Reeves took to Twitter and confirmed that at least 23Mississippians were killed following"violent tornados."

The National Weather Service also issued an alert for parts of Alabama as well as Tennessee, while they had earlier said thunderstorms battered the state late Friday after a tornado was reported in the area of Silver City and Rolling Fork. “Confirmed tornado is on the ground moving across I-55 moving into the city of Winona in Montgomery County shortly. Take cover now!” said NWS officials in Jackson, Mississippi on Twitter.

The severe weather overnight snapped powerin the areas of Mississippi and Alabama.The tracking websitePowerOutage.usshowed that as of 6 pm(local time), 6,565 customers remained without power in Mississippi communities devastated by the storms, while there were 13,532 across Alabama.

As of Saturday afternoon, 12,973 customers still lacked power in Tennessee, which was also hit by the severe weather.

Earlier, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency in affected areas and tweeted that the state had activated medical support.

(With inputs from agencies)

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