Chilling drone footage has shown the shocking damage left behind in a small Mississippi town after a devastating tornado ripped through the state. At least 26 people have died and dozens have been injured by powerful storms that wreaked havoc across Mississippi over the weekend. Now, aerial footage from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has shown the vast extent of the damage left behind in the small neighbourhood of Rolling Fork.
It shows debris scattered across the streets and farmland, damaged buildings with rooves torn off, battered vehicles and uprooted trees. The small town with less than 1,800 residents is northwest of the state capitol, Jackson.
When approaching the town from the south, the tornado’s path can be seen clearly. A straight line of trees has been stripped of their branches and uprooted, while the trees to either side have been left unscathed.
The mayor of the town, Eldridge Walker, told CNN in a heartbreaking interview: “Devastation, as I look from left to right, that’s all I see.
“A lot of families here are affected, a lot of families are hurting. This community is in a situation we never expected, but right now what’s important to me is that these folks are taken care of, that our families who have been trapped are rescued and taken to hospitals for emergency care.”
“My city… my city is gone. But we’re resilient, and we’re going to come back. We’re going to come back strong.”
Several residents got trapped in their homes, but many have since been rescued and were sent to receive care.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves took to Twitter to issue statements on the impact of the storm.
After updating the official death toll, he wrote: “The loss will be felt in these towns forever.
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“Please pray for God’s hand to be over all who lost family and friends.”
He later declared a state of emergency after multiple brutal storms ripped through the state.
Reeves added: “We will marshal every available resource on behalf of our neighbors in need. We’re here for the long haul.”
US President Joe Biden also declared a state of emergency for the state of Mississippi on Sunday, approving federal funding to the hardest-hit areas.
US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has since visited Rolling Fork, pledging to help rebuild stronger buildings.
He said these would prevent a tragedy like this one from happening again as severe weather events continue to increase in frequency and severity.
Mayorkas added: “It is inspiring to see the people of Mississippi come together… and the people of this country come together to assist those in dire need.”
Before tearing through Mississippi, the US’ National Weather Service (NWS) issued a stark warning, raising the alarm over a storm which represented “a life-threatening situation”.
It warned it would generate winds powerful enough to move mobile homes and send debris flying through the air.
The tornado was given a preliminary EF-4 ranking, the NWS office in Jackson, Mississippi, announced on Saturday. Tornadoes with this rating have top wind speeds of between 166 and 200 miles per hour, the NWS says.
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