Mississippi tornadoes leave at least 6 dead as cleanup operations get underway
TYLERTOWN, Miss. ā Sounds of chainsaws fill the air as recovery operations get underway in Mississippi after a deadly, multiday tornado outbreak left swaths of destruction across the region over the weekend.
At least six people are confirmed dead in the state, while three people remain missing and a state of emergency is in effect.
FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray was on the ground in Mississippi in the immediate aftermath of the deadly storms and has been traversing the area to get a better understanding of what took place after tornadoes destroyed homes and businesses, leaving people wondering what comes next.
On Monday, Ray was in the community of Tylertown, which saw significant damage not far from the Louisiana border. He found several homes that were destroyed, with pieces of aluminum roofing hanging from power lines as wood and other debris littered the ground.
“It was so fast and furious with these cells moving across that there were times where, you know, you really were disoriented,” Ray said. “You didn’t quite know what to do and where to take cover with your vehicle and where to put your vehicle, or whether you should get out and try to take shelter because of how fast these storms were moving.”
TERRIFYING VIDEO SHOWS FAMILY RIDING OUT DEADLY TYLERTOWN, MISSISSIPPI, TORNADO
Ray first arrived in the hard-hit community of Elliott and spoke with residents who said they were sucked out of their homes or pushed around in their mobile homes where they were seeking shelter.
He spoke with one homeowner who said he was huddling with his son inside their home when the storm hit.
“The siren was going off, about four or five times,” Robert Holman said. “Then I felt the wind coming through. Then all of a sudden, it sounded like a freight train. It just tore everything up.”
DEBRIS, FARM LIFE LITTERED ACROSS TYLERTOWN, MISSISSIPPI, AFTER DEADLY TORNADO RIPS THROUGH TOWN
The National Weather Service has storm survey teams on the ground assessing the damage after at least two tornadoes tore through the community over the weekend within a half-hour of each other.
In total, the FOX Forecast Center says more than 50 tornadoes were confirmed across 10 states during the severe weather outbreak that left at least 40 people dead.
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