Tornado damage reports from Mississippi
Photo: Tornado damage at Silver City, Mississippi on Friday, March 24
Note: This page will be updated with the latest reports from MEMA and other official information as needed.
Friday, March 31 update – Severe Weather Update #8
Thursday, March 30 Update – The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has issued updated information on the severe weather event of March 24, 2023.
Residents in Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, and Sharkey Counties can now register for FEMA Individual Assistance by going online to disasterassistance.gov or calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), disaster number DR- 4697.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Mobile Application Centers are now open to serve those affected by the storms and severe weather at the following locations:
Click here to read more information: Severe Weather Update #7
Wednesday, March 29 update: Here is the latest severe weather update from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency continues to assess the damage in multiple counties affected by the March 24 tornadoes and severe weather.
Residents in Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, and Sharkey Counties can now register for FEMA Individual Assistance by going online to www.disasterassistance.gov or calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), disaster number DR-4697. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3lRSefC
Tuesday, March 28 Update: The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency posted the latest tornado damage report on Tuesday.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency continues to assess the damage in multiple counties affected by the March 24th tornadoes and severe weather. At the time of this release, the National Weather Service has confirmed seven tornadoes touched down in Mississippi. One EF-4 tornado (Rolling Fork/Silver City tornado), two EF-3 tornadoes (Carroll/Montgomery County tornado and Monroe County tornado), and four EF-1 tornadoes impacted the state. Click here to read more.
Monday, March 27 Update: Following is the latest tornado damage report posted from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency: Severe Weather Update #4
MEMA also said the Sharkey County Shelter is now moving to the:
SOUTH DELTA MIDDLE SCHOOL
86 MIDDLE SCHOOL ROAD, ANGUILLA, MS
OPENING AT 5:00 PM ON MARCH 27, 2023
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is urging residents who suffered damage from the tornadoes of Friday night, March 24, to self-report their damage to MEMA. Use this link to self-report damage: Self-report damage
Here is a view of the tornado damage from Rolling Fork after the Friday tornado, courtesy of @MSEMA on Twitter.
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Response efforts by The State of Mississippi after the March 24th deadly tornadoes are ongoing. At this time, fatalities stand at 25 with dozens of others injured. That number is subject to change. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing. The fatalities are reported in Sharkey, Humphreys, Carroll, and Monroe counties. Multiple state agencies and partners are working together to help in the response and recovery efforts.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has coordinated multiple resources to help those impacted. Those resources include bottled water, potable water tankers, tarps, portable restrooms, hand washing stations, batteries, bank chargers, and fuel for critical infrastructure generators.
Currently, there are three shelters open. Those locations are:
National Guard Armory/Civic Center
19719 US 61
Rolling Fork, MS 39159
Humphreys County Multipurpose BLDG
417 Silver City Road
Belzoni, MS 39038
Old Amory National Guard Building
101 S 9th St.
Amory, MS 38821
The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and other nonprofit organizations will continue to offer food at these sites.
ESF #6 Mass Care and Human Services
The Mississippi Division of Medicaid has enacted its state of emergency to allow patients impacted by the storm to receive early refills and additional prescriptions above the monthly limit. Pharmacy providers should follow the billing guidelines found at this link: https://medicaid.ms.gov/disaster-billing-directions/. Medicaid is directing its Coordinated Care Organizations’ pharmacy directors to enact their emergency procedures.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who have lost food due to a disaster must request a replacement at their local MDHS office within ten days of the disaster. Households can submit the replacement request using mail, email, or by using the upload feature on the MDHS website. (www.mdhs.ms.gov).
The Department of Mental Health is reporting the Region 6 Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) is responding to the community to bring supplies and respond to mental health needs. Those specialists are available to provide services in the community for anyone experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The DMH Helpline is also available for information and referral services and can be reached at 1-877-210-8513.
ESF #8 Mississippi Department of Health
Pafford Ambulance Services has set up a mobile hospital inside the Armory in Sharkey County.
ESF #12 Mississippi Public Utilities Staff.
Energy companies are reminding people to report any smell of gas to their local energy company or 911.
Utility companies also ask that people do not cut fiber wires. It is dangerous and some of those wires are used for emergency communications.
Donations:
The Rolling Fork National Guard/Civic Center is open and accepting donations.
The Department of Public Safety, MEMA, and The Department of Agriculture have teamed together to accept donations of bottled water, canned goods, and paper products.
The donation site is at the Old Armory at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds. Donations will be accepted Sunday through Tuesday 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
The City of Olive Branch is working alongside MEMA to accept donations of supplies, bottled water, canned goods and paper products. Donations will be accepted at the City of Olive Branch Fleet Services located at 10414 Hwy 178 next to the Olive Branch Police Department. They will be open Sunday (3/26) 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. and Monday (3/27) through Wednesday (3/29) from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
The Amory Regional Museum is accepting supplies only, no monetary donations. The address is 801 3rd Street South in Amory.
Monetary donations can be sent to the Community Foundation of Washing County at P.O. Box 5910 Greenville, MS 39704.
Crossway Church is accepting donations at 1825 Highway 61 South in Vicksburg, MS 39180.
Volunteers:
If you are looking to volunteer time or resources, please do not self-deploy. Volunteer in coordination with Volunteer Mississippi at this link.
Mississippi Insurance Department: Molina mobile clinic will be set up at the Sharkey County Civic Center today. (3-26-23)
MEMA is encouraging residents who can report their damage using MEMA’s Self-Report Tool.
Saturday, March 25 (3 p.m.) – The State of Mississippi is continuing to respond to the devastating deadly tornadoes that swept through the state overnight on March 24, 2023. At this time the death toll has risen to 25 and dozens of others are injured. The fatalities are reported in Sharkey, Humphreys, Carroll, and Monroe counties. Four people reported missing overnight have now been accounted for. Multiple state agencies and partners are working together to help in the response and recovery efforts.
Currently, there are three shelters open. Those locations are:
National Guard Armory/Civic Center
19719 US 61
Rolling Fork, MS 39159
Humphreys County Multipurpose BLDG
417 Silver City Road
Belzoni, MS 39038
Old Amory National Guard Building
101 S 9th St.
Amory, MS 38821
The American Red Cross and other nonprofit organizations will continue to offer food at these sites.
ESF #6 Mass Care and Human Services
The Mississippi Division of Medicaid has enacted its state of emergency provision which allows fee-for-service beneficiaries affected by the tornadoes to receive early refills and additional prescriptions above the monthly limit. Pharmacy providers should follow the billing guidelines found at this link: https://medicaid.ms.gov/disaster-billing-directions/. Medicaid is directing its Coordinated Care Organizations’ pharmacy directors to enact their emergency procedures.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who have lost food due to a disaster must request a replacement at their local MDHS office within ten days of the disaster. Households can submit the replacement request using mail, email, or by using the upload feature on the MDHS website. (www.mdhs.ms.gov).
The Department of Mental Health is reporting one group home in Rolling Fork operated by the Region 6 Community Mental Health Center, Life Help, is reported to be spared from damage but the staff is working on placing the 14 clients living there in other residential programs. The Region 6 Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) is responding to the community to bring supplies and respond to mental health needs encountered. MCRTs are available to provide services in the community for anyone experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The DMH Helpline is also available for information and referral services and can be reached at 1-877-210-8513.
ESF#9 Search and Rescue
Search and rescue efforts are ongoing on the state and local levels.
ESF #12 Mississippi Public Utilities Staff.
Energy companies are reminding people to report any smell of gas to their local energy company or 911.
Utility companies also ask that people do not cut fiber wires. It is dangerous and some of those wires are used for emergency communications.
Donations:
The Rolling Fork National Guard/Civic Center is open and accepting donations.
The Department of Public Safety, MEMA, and The Department of Agriculture have teamed together to accept donations of bottled water, canned goods, and paper products.
The donation site is at the Armory at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds. Donations will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. today. The site will be open Sunday through Tuesday 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Mississippi Insurance Department: Molina mobile clinic will be set up at the Sharkey County Civic Center beginning Sunday. (3-26-23)
MEMA is encouraging residents who can report their damage using MEMA’s Self-Report Tool.
Saturday, March 25 (9:45 a.m.): Information provided by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency
The State of Mississippi is responding to the devastating tornadoes that swept through the state overnight on March 24, 2023. At the time of this release, 23 are confirmed dead at this time, dozens are injured and four people are missing. The fatalities are reported in Sharkey, Humphreys, Carroll, and Monroe counties. The National Guard Armory in Rolling Fork (19719 US-61, Rolling Fork, MS) is opening to assist in sheltering operations. Life safety is the number one priority and damage assessments will begin soon. A FEMA Team is en route to assist the state. Humphreys County is using its multipurpose building for shelter. The American Red Cross will set up a shelter at the Greenville Multipurpose Center. The Red Cross is also providing food offering one thousand meals for breakfast, one thousand meals for lunch, and one thousand meals for dinner.
ESF-1
District 1 (Northeast Mississippi)
There is significant damage in Amory along Highways 6 and 25. Crews from Monroe County are unable to get into Amory from the south where their headquarters is located due to the number of power lines that are down across the road. Crews from Itawamba County are coming from the north to assess damage in Smithville and cut any trees across the road on their way to Amory. Crews from Lee and Chickasaw County are mobilizing to assist the Monroe and Itawamba crews.
District 2 (Northwest Mississippi)
District 2 has a good bit of tornado damage east of Winona mainly along Hwy 407. Montgomery and Attala counties crews are out working to get it open as soon as possible.
District 3 (West Central Mississippi)
D3 Roads are currently clear for the exception of a small cut through highway, SR 826, near the Fire Dept. in Rolling Fork, which the Fire Dept. closed because of a lowered power line. That small section is closed until they clear it, MDOT is not involved in this closure.
While there are no reports of damaged roadways in District 3, the Rolling Fork MDOT campus is reporting significant damage.
Some MDOT employees have damaged and/or lost homes in the Rolling Fork area. Some of those with damaged homes reported overnight to keep the area roads clear and safe.
While Rolling Fork state roadways are CLEAR, MHP is currently detouring big trucks around Rolling Fork due to low or damaged power lines to allow the power company time to repair them.
District 5 (East Central Mississippi)
All District 5 roads are clear and no damage to roads, property or equipment is being reported by maintenance crews.
District 6 (Southeast Mississippi)
No storm-related damage reported
District 7 (Southwest Mississippi)
No storm-related damage reported
ESF 9 – Search and Rescue
Multiple task form teams and the Mississippi State Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks are working in Rolling Fork, Amory, and Monroe Counties.
ESF 8 – State Department of Health
Patients from Sharkey Issaquena Community Hospital were transferred to other hospitals and nursing facilities. The University of Mississippi Medical Center sent pediatric transport to Yazoo City to assist with three pediatric injuries. Covington County EMS sent ambulances to Rolling Fork. Pafford Ambulance Service is providing a mobile hospital and support staff at the Mississippi National Guard Armory in Rolling Fork.
ESF 12- MS Public Utilities Staff
Atmos Energy has cut gas lines in Rolling Fork for the safety of all residents and first responders.
Energy companies are asking the public to report any smell of natural gas to their energy company or 911. The number for the Atmos Emergency line is 866-322-8667.
