Mississippi Braces for Long Recovery After Tornado

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(TNS) – Mississippi residents braced for a lengthy recovery days after a deadly tornado wiped out hundreds of buildings, including homes, in several small communities.

The official death toll stood at 21 on Monday, down from 25 as previously announced, as authorities cited the total confirmed by coroners since Friday’s twister, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency .

More than 1,000 structures were impacted by the severe storm, including more than 300 buildings that were completely destroyed, MEMA said.

“It’s going to be a long road to recovery, to rebuild and get over all the devastation,” said Wayne Williams , whose 2,000-person town of Rolling Fork, Miss. , was among those devastated. “With God in the mix, we will recover.”

The storm toppled buildings and made homes uninhabitable, in some cases destroying entire blocks.

“That’s the only thing that was stuck in my head was just to pray, pray and cry out to God,” said Kimberly Berry , who took shelter at a church with her daughter as their house was destroyed. “I didn’t hear nothing but my own self praying and God answering my prayer. I mean, I can get another house, another furniture. But literally saving my life — I’m thankful.”

On Sunday, President Biden made federal aid available for multiple counties in Mississippi , which is among the poorest U.S. states. Those counties included Sharkey , which has a 35% poverty rate, and Humphreys , which has a 33% poverty rate — both nearly three times the national average of 12%.

“The images from across Mississippi are heartbreaking,” Biden said in a statement Saturday. “While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know that many of our fellow Americans are not only grieving for family and friends, they’ve lost their homes and businesses.”

The National Weather Service said the tornado had an initial rating of EF-4, meaning it recorded wind speeds between 166 mph and 200 mph. The tornado covered 59 miles in an hour and 10 minutes, the NWS said in its preliminary estimate.

With News Wire Services