1 dead, nearly 2 dozen injured after multiple tornadoes sweep through Mississippi

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An overnight tornado outbreak in Mississippi resulted in one death and nearly two dozen injuries, as announced by officials on Monday.

Emergency teams in the state are still assessing the extent of the damage caused by the storms, which were accompanied by high temperatures and hail in certain areas. The reported death and injuries took place in Jasper County, located in eastern Mississippi.

Louin, a small rural town, sustained the majority of the damage. Images and drone footage reveal extensive areas covered with debris, destroyed homes, and uprooted trees. Emergency workers were seen extricating at least one person from the rubble.

Lester Campbell, a resident of the heavily damaged area, informed The Big Big News on Monday that his cousin, 67-year-old George Jean Hayes, was the casualty of the storm. Coroner Don Sumrall of Jones County confirmed that Hayes succumbed to “multisystem trauma” at 2:18 a.m.

Campbell was jolted awake near midnight when the power went out just before the tornado struck his home. He described the sudden event as sounding like a train, adding, “It was like a ‘roar, roar, roar.’” He was able to find shelter in his bedroom closet just as the tornado passed.

After the storm, Campbell heard cries for help from his cousin’s trailer home across the street. He saw emergency workers taking a bloodied Hayes into an ambulance. Despite being conscious and talking when he saw her, she unfortunately passed away before reaching the hospital.

According to Becky Collins, a spokeswoman for the South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel, about 20 of the injured individuals, including Hayes, arrived at the facility between 2 and 3 a.m. Most patients were stable and had injuries like cuts and bruises.

Meteorologist Eric Carpenter from the National Weather Service in Jackson identified an unusually strong jet stream as the cause of the tornado, which began near Louin and moved 7 miles (11 kilometers) south to Bay Springs. Carpenter noted that this kind of weather in June, including tornadoes, high temperatures, and constant thunder and hail, is “a very unusual situation.”

On March 24, a devastating tornado caused massive destruction in western and northern Mississippi, killing at least 26 people and damaging thousands of homes.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves confirmed that Monday’s tornadoes also affected Rankin County, near the state capital, Jackson. Search and rescue missions are currently underway, with drones being used in areas inaccessible by vehicles due to fallen power lines.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported that more than 49,000 homes in central Mississippi were without power. Many residents in Hinds County, the state’s most populated area, were still without electricity on Monday morning following high winds earlier on Friday.

Governor Reeves announced that command centers and shelters are being set up for those displaced by the storms.

Upon returning to his home, Campbell found half his roof missing, his garage ruined, and windows shattered. Surveying the damage, he felt fortunate compared to others. “Most of the houses are gone. They are demolished. They’re done,” said Campbell.

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Michael Goldberg, a member of the Big Big News/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative, reported this story. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to cover underreported issues. You can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/mikergoldberg.

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