A destructive storm system tore through Mississippi on Sunday night, resulting in the tragic death of one person and leaving almost two dozen individuals injured, according to officials, Your Content has learned.
The National Weather Service has issued preliminary reports indicating that a tornado spawned by the storm caused significant damage and injuries in Bay Springs and Louin, located in Jasper County.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is currently assessing the aftermath of the overnight storms, revealing that more than 49,000 customers in the central part of the state are without power.
Alarming weather forecasts warn that over 50 million people across the Southeastern region, including Mississippi, face the looming threat of severe weather, including tornadoes, throughout Monday.
The severe weather alert extends to various parts of the Gulf Coast and the Southeast, encompassing areas such as New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Jacksonville, Mobile, and Savannah.
Damaging wind gusts, large hail, and isolated tornadoes pose significant risks. Reports from the weather service have already confirmed the presence of a tornado near Santa Rosa Beach in Florida, urging all residents in the affected areas to seek shelter immediately.
The service highlighted the potential danger of flying debris, damage to structures, and the likelihood of tree damage. Moreover, a vast region stretching from central Texas to southern Florida and up to western North Carolina is under a marginal risk, putting cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, Austin, and Tampa at risk of damaging winds and large hail.
In response to the destruction caused by recent tornadoes, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department announced the opening of a shelter for displaced individuals affected by the storms.
South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel has received 20 storm victims from the Louin area, one of whom tragically passed away.
However, most patients are in stable condition and have been discharged from the hospital.
This severe weather outbreak follows a series of storms that ravaged the Texas Panhandle community of Perryton last Thursday, resulting in the loss of three lives and injuring over a hundred others.
Additionally, heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are expected to move eastward into the southeastern parts of the country, posing a risk of flooding in the Southeast, southern mid-Atlantic, and Southern Appalachians.
While residents in the affected areas grapple with the aftermath of storms, they also face scorching heatwave conditions.
Over 35 million people in Texas, Louisiana, southern New Mexico, and Mississippi are under heat alerts, with many enduring the sweltering heat without electricity.
As of Monday morning, approximately 465,000 customers remain without power in the South, including thousands in Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana.
The National Weather Service strongly advises residents to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day, stay hydrated, and avoid leaving children or pets in vehicles.
The forecast predicts that more than 40 daily heat records could be matched or broken across Texas this week.
The combination of high temperatures and humidity is expected to push the heat index to dangerously high levels, reaching 113 to 122 degrees in cities such as Houston, San Antonio, Brownsville, and Dallas.
Several daily heat records were already shattered on Sunday, with temperatures in Del Rio reaching 111 degrees, surpassing the previous record set in 2011.
Authorities are taking proactive measures to help residents cope with the extreme heat by opening cooling centers in cities like Houston and Caddo Parish.
Recognizing the urgent need to protect the community, emergency preparedness campaigns are working alongside fire departments in cities like New Orleans to establish hydration stations and distribute water and sunscreen to residents during this scorching weather spell, according CNN.