Powerful tornadoes followed by severe thunderstorms ripped through central and southern Mississippi on Wednesday, May 6.
The catastrophic storm left a trail of destruction, damaged more than 1,000 buildings, and injured four people.
The most affected areas include Lamar, Franklin, and Lincoln counties, where officials report hundreds of structures have been wrecked.
Around 250 buildings were damaged in Lamar County alone, affecting a church and the county’s emergency management facility.
Several hours of southbound lane closures occurred along Interstate 55 due to the presence of debris. This was after the National Weather Service declared a “particularly dangerous situation” for some areas in southwestern Mississippi, which is an uncommon classification used only for the strongest tornadoes.
Around 14 tornadoes hit the region. Following the thunderstorms, more than 19,000 consumers got power outage early Thursday, May 7. Over 1,500 customers are reported to be still without power.
Four people got minor injuries, with one receiving stitches. Additionally, several residents trapped under debris were self-rescued.
The storm system has now moved to Alabama, where officials continue to monitor severe weather threats through early Thursday.
