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11 Deaths Confirmed in Mississippi, Tornado Damage Reported Across Southeast

There are 11 confirmed deaths, multiple injuries and damage in 18 counties in Mississippi due to severe weather that hit the state April 12, according to an initial damage report from Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). Governor Tate Reeves has signed a State of Emergency in response to the severe weather outbreak.

In addition, Georgia Insurance Commissioner John F. King confirmed several tornadoes touched down throughout the state of Georgia, causing thousands to be without power. The severe weather also resulted in multiple fatalities and widespread damage to buildings and structures in numerous Georgia counties.

Bloomberg said that tornadoes were reported Monday in North Carolina and South Carolina as well, according to the U.S. Storm Prediction Center, and multiple counties in Florida are under tornado watch today.

MEMA said counties reporting fatalities include: Carroll, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lawrence, Panola and Walthall.

There are currently more than 72,000 without power in Mississippi. At the time of MEMA’s initial report, 18 counties have submitted damage reports to MEMA:

• Bolivar – 40 homes, 20 apartments, 20 roads debris, 20 roads damaged. 30 persons displaced.
• Carroll –2 homes, 7 roads closed due to debris
• Chickasaw –4 roads closed due to debris.
• Clarke –5 homes destroyed, 5 homes major damage, 5 with minor damage,7 mobile homes damaged

• Grenada –15 homes, 1 apartment, 100 roads closed due to debris
• Humphreys –1 home damaged, power poles down, 3 people displaced
• Jasper 8 homes destroyed, 6 homes major damaged, 6 homes minor damaged, 5 homes affected, 3 mobile homes destroyed, 40 displaced

• Jefferson Davis – 100 homes, 40 roads closed debris, 40 roads closed damage, 75-80 displaced, multiple powerlines down
• Jones – damage to structures

• Lafayette –5 homes damaged
• Montgomery –10 homes, 2 roads closed due to debris
• Newton –2 homes, 11 roads closed due to debris. 2 persons displaced.
• Noxubee –5 homes, 5 roads closed due to debris and 5 roads closed due to damage.
• Rankin –1 home damaged, 2 roads closed due to damage, 2 people displaced
• Smith – 10 homes, 2 apartments, 5 roads closed due to debris, 5 roads closed due to damage.
• Sharkey – 1 home damaged. Approx. 250 customers without power. Power and phones outage to Courthouse and Sheriff Dept. Calls routed to dispatcher’s office.
• Tate –3 homes damaged, 7 roads closed due to flooding/debris, 1 road closed due to damage. 1 road washed out
• Yazoo –8 homes damaged, 1 road closed due to debris, 2 people displaced

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is working with local county emergency directors to assess the need for long-term sheltering. The statewide shelter-in-place remains in effect. We want to remind people to social distance as best as possible and if you’re in a public shelter, wear some kind of mask to cover your mouth and nose to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

In Georgia, WSB-TV in Atlanta said the storms produced several tornadoes, as well as damaging winds and hail. More than 100,000 people were without power Monday and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency as a result of the severe weather.

Tornadoes were confirmed all over the state: Northwest Georgia in Chattooga County, Metro Atlanta in South Fulton County, and South-Central Georgia in Putnam and Upson Counties. Surrounding counties also suffered severe damage and reported fatalities as the storms passed through. These storms caused extensive damage to homes, businesses, schools, and many more structures, the Georgia Department of Insurance said.

Insurance Commissioner King urged property owners who were impacted to notify their insurance company of any damages.

Impacted policyholders should contact their insurance company at once to relay their status in regards to any potential claim or late premium payment as a result of the storms.

This is a developing story…