as crews in Mississippi Continuing to dig through devastated neighborhoods in the aftermath of a deadly tornado, weather officials released preliminary information on the powerful storm early Sunday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Jackson said Cyclone The one that devastated the town of Rolling Fork in the Mississippi Delta Friday night has been given an EF-4 rating, which has maximum sustained winds of 166 mph to 200 mph.
The tornado ripped a 59-mile path of destruction starting in northern Essaquina County before ending in northern Holmes County, according to the NWS. The tornado lasted over an hour and had a maximum path width of three-quarters of a mile.
At least 25 people have been killed and dozens injured in Mississippi. A man has been killed after his trailer home flipped over several times in Alabama.
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Hundreds of people were displaced after the tornado leveled entire blocks, destroying homes, toppling cars, ripping the steeple off a church, and toppling a municipal water tower.
On Sunday, crews resumed digging amid the wreckage of battered and destroyed homes, commercial buildings and municipal offices as NWS officials warned more. severe weather can hit the area.
Emergency rescuers and first responders climb through a tornado-ravaged mobile home park in search of bodies that may be buried in piles of debris, insulation and home furnishings Saturday morning in Rolling Fork, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
High winds, significant hail, and possible tornadoes were possible in eastern Louisiana, south-central Mississippi, and south central alabama, officials said.
A car awaits removal Saturday after it was destroyed by a tornado Friday night that hit Rolling Fork, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
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President Biden He declared a major emergency in Mississippi and made federal aid available to the state early Sunday, making federal funding available to Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe and Sharkey counties.
The White House said in a statement that federal funding was available during the recovery effort for temporary housing, home repair, loans that cover uninsured property losses, and other individual and business programs.
FEMA Administrator Dean Creswell was scheduled to visit the state Sunday to assess the damage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.