“It is almost complete devastation,” Royce Steed, emergency manager in Humphreys County, where Silver City is located, told USA Today. “This little old town … is more or less wiped off the map.”
At least 18 of the dead were from Rolling Fork, with other residents still unaccounted for, the Clarion Ledger reported.
“There are nearly 20 homes on Seventh Street with around 80 residents. Every home was a complete loss,” the news outlet reported.
MEMA officials have preliminarily categorized the tornado with an EF-4 rating. That classification is for tornadoes packing wind gusts from 166 mph to 200 mph, according to the AccuWeather weather service.
The Clarion Ledger spoke with Seventh Street resident John Brewer, a long-haul trucker who was home with his wife Joyce when the tornado roared through the neighborhood. The tornado lifted his 27,000-pound truck and dropped it on his neighbor’s home, killing L.A. Pierce and his wife Melissa.
Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz of the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, issued a statement Saturday, pledging the support of the diocese’s Catholic Charities disaster response team.
“At this time, we join in prayer for all those affected by the storms that crossed our state and for the repose of the souls of those lost to these devastating tornadoes,” Kopacz said.
“We pray for those who are desperately trying to reach loved ones and unable to reach them, as well as those still seeking safety who are missing as a result of the storms,” he continued.
“We give thanks and pray for first responders, who are working tirelessly in affected communities trying to reach those missing, restore power and assist those surviving,” the bishop added.
“I encourage all to continue to pray and find ways to support all affected communities,” Kopacz concluded.
(Story continues below)
Shannon Mullen is the Editor-in-Chief of CNA. He previously worked as a features writer, investigative reporter, and editor with the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press. He has received numerous national reporting awards and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Credit: Source link
