Powerful tornadoes followed by severe thunderstorms hit central and southern Mississippi on Wednesday, May 6.
The catastrophic storm left a trail of destruction, damaging more than 1,000 buildings and injuring four people.
The hardest hit areas include Lamar, Franklin and Lincoln counties, where officials report hundreds of structures have been destroyed.
About 250 buildings were damaged in Lamar County alone, affecting a church and the county’s emergency management facility.
There were several hours of southbound lane closures along Interstate 55 due to debris. This was after the National Weather Service declared a “particularly dangerous situation” for some areas of southwest Mississippi, which is a rare classification used only for the strongest tornadoes.
About 14 tornadoes hit the region. After the storms, more than 19,000 consumers were left without electricity early Thursday, May 7. More than 1,500 customers are reportedly still without power.
Four people suffered minor injuries and one received stitches. Additionally, several residents trapped under the rubble were rescued themselves.
The storm system has now moved into Alabama, where officials continue to monitor severe weather threats into the early hours of Thursday.
