New Delhi:
US President Joe Biden vowed Saturday to provide emergency relief to victims of a devastating tornado that swept through several Mississippi towns, killing at least 23 people. The emergency management body warned that the number of deaths could rise.
Here’s your 10-point cheat sheet for this big story
“The images from all over Mississippi are heartbreaking,” Biden said in a statement. “We will do everything we can to help. We will be there as long as it takes.”
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said he had spoken with Biden about the deadly tornadoes they faced overnight. “…He assured us that FEMA would be there to support our response. The outpouring of support from governors, corporations, charities and federal administration has been tremendous – befitting the community here on the ground,” Mr. Reeves tweeted, referring to the Federal Agency for Emergency Management (FEMA).
The powerful storm system that spawned the tornado, accompanied by thunderstorms and driving rain, cut a long path across Mississippi late Friday, slamming several towns along the way.
Malary White, a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said damage assessments would not be possible until officials could conduct a full daylight investigation.
“Our number one priority right now, especially for the local first responders, is the safety of life and holding the people accountable and making sure they’re safe,” Ms. White told CBS News affiliate WJTV.
In the hard-hit town of Rolling Fork, a row of houses and buildings were left with scattered rubble. Cars were overturned and smashed, fences torn and trees uprooted, according to local television footage.
“My town is gone,” Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker told DailyExpertNews. “Devastation – when I look from left to right, that’s all I see.”
Resident Shanta Howard told ABC affiliate WAPT that locals should help pull the dead from the wreckage of their homes. “It was like it wasn’t noticed. We didn’t know what was going on,” a tearful Tracy Harden, the owner of Chuck’s Dairy Bar in Rolling Fork, told DailyExpertNews.
The National Weather Service warned residents that as cleanups continue, “dangers remain even after the storms have progressed.” A local tornado watch expired in the early hours of Saturday, meteorologists said. More thunderstorms were expected, but they were not severe.
Tornadoes, a weather phenomenon notoriously difficult to predict, are relatively common in the US, especially in the central and southern parts of the country.
With input from AFP
Post comment