Louisville, MS: Tornado Strikes Near Mississippi Town (Photos, Video)
South on edge: Tornadoes, several injuries in Miss
TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — Two large tornados splintered homes and business in Mississippi, part of a powerful storm system that threatened large areas of the South with more twisters, severe thunderstorms, damaging hail and flash floods, authorities said. Several injuries were reported along with extensive damage in the northern Mississippi city of Tupelo.
People in the path of the huge system were on edge as the National Weather Service postedtornado watches and warnings around Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. Forecasters said the system is the latest onslaught of severe weather that triggered deadly tornadoes in Arkansas and Oklahoma and have threatened flash floods, damaging hail and dangerous thunderstorms around the South.
Mississippi’s said injuries have been confirmed from the tornadoes in the Tupelo area and in Winston County in the central-north part of the state. Health department spokesman Jim Craig said emergency responders went to both areas but he did not know how many people had been injured because relief efforts were still underway. The National Weather Service said it confirmed the second tornado as well in Winston County.
Gov. Phil Bryant earlier in the day declared a state of emergency in advance of the expected bad weather. He told The Associated Press late Monday that so far no fatalities have been reported.
Bruce Ridgeway, vice president at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, said that hospital received six people with non-life-threatening injuries.
Tupleo Mayor Jason Shelton said damage was extensive in neighborhoods in the city. Authorities have sent teams to the region even before the arrival of the stormfront.
