Tornado death toll in Mississippi climbs to 25
Published 4:53 pm Saturday, March 25, 2023
Rolling Fork's City Hall was destroyed by Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Two 18-wheeler grain haulers sit atop debris in Rolling Fork following Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
A car was flipped on its side, wrapped in tin and pushed against a tree in Rolling Fork by the powerful tornado that hit the town on Friday. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
A building in Rolling Fork that housed an ice cream shop was destroyed in Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Roger Jones unloads bottled water to aid with recovery efforts in Rolling Fork following Friday's tornado, as Roger Anthony, Jonathan Allen and Erica Clay assist. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Rolling Fork residents pick through the debris of a house following Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Vicksburg mayor George Flaggs surveys the damage in Rolling Fork on Saturday, after a tornado leveled the town on Friday night. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Rolling Fork residents pick through the debris of a damaged home on Saturday, a day after a powerful tornado struck the town. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
The steeple of the First Baptist Church in Rolling Fork sits in the street after it was blown off the building's roof by Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Damage is seen along Mulberry Street in Rolling Fork following Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Damage is seen along Mulberry Street in Rolling Fork following Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Damage to a home on Mulberry Street in Rolling Fork following Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Workers cut up a downed tree in front of Rolling Fork's City Hall on Saturday, after a tornado struck the city on Friday night. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
The Rolling Fork Police Department headquarters was damaged by Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Debris is strewn across the ground on Walnut Street in Rolling Fork following the tornado that struck the town on Friday. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Damage from Friday's tornado in Rolling Fork. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Damage from Friday's tornado in Rolling Fork is seen near Deer Creek, which passes through the town. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Downtown Rolling Fork is seen in the wake of the tornado that passed through town on Friday night. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Downed trees and power lines surround the Rolling Fork United Methodist Church after Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
A truck carries water through the streets of Rolling Fork, after a powerful tornado struck the town on Friday night. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
A worker cleans up debris in Rolling Fork on Saturday, after a tornado struck the town on Friday night. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
A convenience store at the intersection of Mississippi 14 and South Parkway Avenue in Rolling Fork was heavily damaged by Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
A convenience store at the intersection of Mississippi 14 and South Parkway Avenue in Rolling Fork was heavily damaged by Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
An SUV sits atop a pile of debris following Friday's tornado in Rolling Fork. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
A destroyed house in Rolling Fork is seen Saturday, a day after a powerful tornado struck the town in Sharkey County. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
A pile of debris surrounds a tree following last year's tornado in Rolling Fork. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Rolling Fork was heavily damaged by the powerful tornado that struck the town on Friday. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Choir robes are seen in the Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Rolling Fork, which was heavily damaged by the powerful tornado that struck the town on Friday. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Rolling Fork was heavily damaged by the powerful tornado that struck the town on Friday. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Damage is seen inside Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Rolling Fork after a powerful tornado struck the town on Friday. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Only one stained glass window remained intact at Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Rolling Fork after its building was damaged by Friday's tornado. All of the church's other stained glass windows were shattered and strewn across the grounds. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Clark and Adam Secoy pick through the debris of the Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Rolling Fork on Saturday. The church building was heavily damaged by the tornado that struck the town on Friday night. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
A damaged house in Rolling Fork is exposed to the elements after Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
A downed tree lays on top of a house in Rolling Fork after Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
A water tanker from the Eagle Lake Volunteer Fire Department assists with recovery efforts at a Family Dollar Store in Rolling Fork. The truck was providing fire support to rescue workers who had to use cutting torches to get through the debris. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Members of the Eagle Lake Volunteer Fire Department operate a water tanker while assisting with recovery efforts in Rolling Fork. The truck was providing fire support to rescue workers who had to use cutting torches to get through debris. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
Rescue workers cut through the debris of a Family Dollar store in Rolling Fork as they search for survivors following Friday's tornado. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
A helicopter from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety is parked on the ground in Rolling Fork on Saturday, a day after a powerful tornado struck the town. (Walter Frazier/For The Vicksburg Post)
The death toll from Friday’s tornado outbreak in Mississippi has increased to 25, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency announced Saturday afternoon.
Fatalities have been reported in Sharkey, Humphreys, Carroll, and Monroe counties after the storms hit the state Friday night. Four people reported missing earlier Saturday have been located.
Earlier Saturday, Sharkey County coroner Angelia Eason said there were 13 people dead in her county, including six in a mobile home park. It was unclear if the two newly reported deaths were in Sharkey County or elsewhere.
Preliminary estimates by the National Weather Service indicated that the tornado was on the ground for more than an hour and its northwestward track covered nearly 100 miles from Rolling Fork to Winona. Another strong tornado struck northeast Mississippi, near Amory, late Friday night.
Rolling Fork, located in Sharkey County, was hardest hit. The tornado touched down just to the southwest of town at approximately 8 p.m. and rolled across it a few minutes later.
In the aftermath, streets were blocked by large piles of debris. Gas leaks and downed power lines were everywhere. Many front yards had vehicles overturned in them, and others had cars deposited on top of their houses by the high winds.
First responders from all across Mississippi flowed into town by Saturday morning. They worked through the day to not only clear debris, but as search and rescue teams trying to find survivors trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Gov. Tate Reeves visited Rolling Fork on Saturday and issued a State of Emergency in all counties affected by the storms. He also requested an expedited Major Disaster Declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
On Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will travel to Mississippi to survey the damage and meet with state and local officials. FEMA deployed an Incident Management Assistance Team to the area
“The scale of the damage and loss is evident everywhere affected today,” Reeves said. “From homes, to businesses, and even entire communities. Respond, recover, rebuild together. That is the mission.”
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office and city of Vicksburg both sent ambulances, deputies and other first responders to immediately assist with recovery efforts in Rolling Fork, while local agencies got started on providing other forms of aid.
The United Way of West Central Mississippi partnered with the Warren County Emergency Management to collect water, supplies and monetary donations. Donations of bottled water will be accepted from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at the United Way office at 920 South St.
The United Way also set up a monetary fund to aid recovery efforts. To donate, visit the United Way of West Central Mississippi’s website. The UWWCM is asking all donors to “click on ‘add a donation note/comment’ and notate ‘ROLLING FORK’ to ensure that 100 percent of your donation will go directly to those affected by this most recent disaster.”
Donated supplies — such as water, blankets and food — are also being accepted at the John Deere store in Rolling Fork. John Deere is located at 19934 Hwy 61 S. in Rolling Fork. The store phone number is 662-527-2772.
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