The southern United States has been ravaged by a succession of violent storms since Friday. On Sunday afternoon, Mississippi authorities reported at least 26 dead and thousands of victims. However, the number of victims was likely to increase, while the National Weather Service (NWS) posted for Sunday evening a risk of violent winds, hail and tornadoes in parts of Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.
Rolling Fork, a Mississippian town of some 2,000 people located about 150 miles west of Jackson, was hit hard by a tornado Friday night. “Everything exploded, it was a disaster,” said Jonny B Gabel, a tornado hunter who was there. He saw the tornado form “a huge black hole” and move “over tens of kilometers” towards Alabama.
On Sunday morning, US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Mississippi. This decision paves the way for federal funding of a series of measures, including temporary housing and reconstruction efforts. “The devastation here in Rolling Fork is heartbreaking,” state governor Tate Reeves said on Twitter.
The devastation here in Rolling Fork is heartbreaking.
Thankful to our federal partners for being here on the ground to see the impact of this tornado.
The character and generosity of Mississippians is on full display with the countless volunteers and donations being offered. pic.twitter.com/rK4SmD8AVT
—Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) March 26, 2023
“Pray and stick together”
Mr. Gabel, meanwhile, is branded by events. He was among the first to get to Rolling Fork after the tornado impact. He even helped a family out of their home and found two bodies lying on a mound of debris a few blocks away. “A fellow tornado hunter called me and said, ‘stop what you’re doing, you need to come help the victims in Rolling Fork, it’s terrible what’s going on,'” he said. , moved.
When he arrived, he spotted a family trapped in his house: “I wanted to help them get out, but you had to be very careful, it was like a minefield with pieces of wood and broken glass everywhere. He was able to help a little girl and her parents out of the rubble, in total darkness, lit only by the light from his phone. “For me, these people represent hope, like a signal sent by God, because they remain unscathed in spite of everything. The young man from Illinois shared his story on social media. The video of his rescue has been viewed almost 150,000 times on TikTok.
In this very religious region of the United States, many people have turned to religion to honor the memory of the victims. Sunday morning, the Rolling Fork First Baptist Church, which did not bend under the bad weather, organized a mass attended by dozens of faithful. Dozens of others showed their support on social media. “We must pray for the victims, but also stick together to help them,” said Mr. Gabel.
Help is organized
“We are going to do everything we can through [des solutions] housing and other means to get people back to this town as quickly as possible,” Gov. Tate Reeves said Sunday at a press conference in Rolling Fork, as most residents were evacuated.
Aid began to organize in the city on Saturday. The American Red Cross has taken over a National Guard building, where food and necessities are pouring in alongside cots.
Sunday afternoon, the damage stretched as far as the eye could see, particularly in western Mississippi. In front of the devastated houses, the cars testified to the violence of the storm. Some have been pushed against each other, all have their windows smashed, many have their bodies hammered by countless blows. A vehicle was even propelled to the top of a mountain of debris.
Climate deregulation
Alongside the governor, at a press conference, the Minister of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, raised the issue of climate change. “We are seeing extreme weather events that are increasing, both in severity and in frequency,” he said. […] We need to build our cities in such a way that we are best prepared, able to respond quickly and recover. »
All day Sunday, new tornadoes and storms were expected in several places in the south of the country. Two tornadoes notably crossed three counties south of Atlanta on Sunday morning, damaging dozens of structures and injuring a few, according to state authorities.
Tornadoes are proving to be more and more frequent in the United States, particularly in the center and south of the country. In December 2021, about 80 people lost their lives after tornadoes hit Kentucky. The US National Weather Service reports that the months of March and April each year remain the most conducive to the appearance of tornadoes, even though they can occur at any time.
With Agence France-Presse