Deadly tornadoes caused absolute destruction in Mississippi and parts of Alabama on Friday, March 24. According to CBS News, the tornado left at least 25 dead and many more injured in Mississippi, and one dead in Alabama, with top wind gusts of up to 170 mph. Towns were completely wiped out, along with roofs being ripped off of homes, leading President Joe Biden to “focus federal support where it is needed most quickly,” as stated by CNN. The tornado tore through Mississippi, causing the most damage in the rural town of Rolling Forks. The storm came through Rolling Forks, a town with fewer than 2,000 residents, in the middle of the night.
According to BBC, The National Weather Service (NWS) estimated the tornado to have a width of three-quarters of a mile (classifying it as a “wedge tornado”) and to have lasted about one hour and 10 minutes. They also stated that while these types of storms are not very common, they are without a doubt the most destructive. The NWS coins these tornadoes “supercell storms,” which are known for sustaining themselves longer than the average storm. The combination of the width of the tornado along with its duration created conditions “perfect for the storm,” as described by meteorologist Lance Perrilloux. Experts also state the time of the storm (the middle of the night, and with very little time prior for a tornado warning) added to its deadliness. The middle of the night is the worst time for such a destructive storm to hit because most people will be asleep and miss alerts before it is too late. The storm in Rolling Fork, MS was registered as a level four on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale and then began to lift through Rolling Fork, touching down once again and hitting other parts of Mississippi and Alabama with a lower level on the EF scale.
Despite the already severe death toll, this number is only expected to spike. Along with some victims who have been trapped in broken-down structures and have not yet been recovered, others have gone missing as a result of trying to find a hiding location from the storm. Additionally, some towns will most likely be without power for weeks, lacking fast enough recovery services to help them. Furthermore, many towns experienced heavy flooding as a result of the heavy rains during the storm. In fact, CBS News stated that in one instance in southern Mississippi, a car carrying six teenagers was taken away by the flood water, and two of the passengers did not survive.
Unfortunately, Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the United States and needs help now more than ever. CNBC voiced that search and recovery crews are searching and scavenging for any life within the rubble of crumbled structures. Mayor of Rolling Fork, Eldridge Walker, declared, “Sharkey County, Mississippi, is one of the poorest counties in the state of Mississippi, but we’re still resilient…We’ve got a long way to go, and we certainly thank everybody for their prayers and for anything they will do or can do for this community.” With President Biden’s emergency declaration for Mississippi, federal funding will become available for those communities in dire conditions. These should help to cover temporary housing and structure repair, as well as several loans to cover property losses. Although this storm has caused absolute devastation, the entire state of Mississippi shows its utter resilience.
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