Severe storms overnight injured 17 people and left approximately 15,640 customers without power in Mississippi, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) said. No fatalities have been reported.
MEMA said it has received preliminary damage reports from five counties — Franklin, Lamar, Lawrence, Lincoln and Wilkinson. The agency reported that hundreds of homes were damaged and numerous roads remain closed because of debris, and utility crews are working to restore power.
Two shelters are open for residents: Lamar County Safe Room, 99 Central Industrial Row, Purvis; and Lincoln County Safe Room, 1154 Belt Line Drive, Brookhaven. MEMA said staff are on the ground in affected counties to assist with command and response activities at the request of local emergency managers, and multiple volunteer strike teams are assisting in Lincoln and Franklin counties.
MEMA urged residents with storm damage to file insurance claims, photograph damage and report losses at https://www.msema.org/report-damage, and to contact their county emergency management agency for assistance (https://www.msema.org/get-assistance/county-emergency-management-contacts). MEMA also thanked volunteers and first responders for their help. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
