The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness
A tornado that tore through Rolling Fork, Miss., left dozens of people dead and destroyed homes. Aerial video revealed the scope of the devastation. (Video: Josh Beckemeyer, Ginny Cooper McCarley, Whitney Shefte/The Washington Post)

Tornadoes kill 26 across Mississippi, Alabama; state of emergency issued

Updated March 25, 2023 at 8:57 p.m. EDT|Published March 25, 2023 at 2:25 a.m. EDT
By
, 
, 
, 
, 
and 
Key updates
2 min
Devastating tornadoes swept through Mississippi and northern Alabama Friday night, killing at least 26 people, injuring dozens more and causing severe damage. Wind gusts of up to 80 mph and hail the size of golf balls battered the state as the large twisters moved more than 100 miles, an unusually long path.  
Key updates

Here’s what to know

  • The Mississippi towns of Rolling Fork and Silver City — in Sharkey and Humphreys counties, respectively — were hit particularly hard by the tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service. At least 13 people were killed in Sharkey County, according to MEMA. One person died in Morgan County, Ala.
  • A large portion of Mississippi could see severe storms Sunday evening, MEMA said Saturday, adding that residents should expect damaging wind gusts, and “tornadoes cannot be ruled out.” The forecast in Alabama includes multiple rounds of potentially severe thunderstorms from Saturday night through late Sunday night. “The main threat will be large hail, with the tornado threat being relatively lower,” National Weather Service in Birmingham said.
  • Mississippi’s governor submitted a request for a major disaster declaration to the federal government Saturday afternoon. The request will unlock FEMA aid. “The scale of the damage and loss is evident everywhere affected today. Homes, businesses … entire communities,” Reeves said on Twitter.
Skip to end of carousel
The Mississippi towns of Rolling Fork and Silver City — in Sharkey and Humphreys counties, respectively — were hit particularly hard by the tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service. At least 13 people were killed in Sharkey County, according to MEMA. One person died in Morgan County, Ala.
A large portion of Mississippi could see severe storms Sunday evening, MEMA said Saturday, adding that residents should expect damaging wind gusts, and “tornadoes cannot be ruled out.” The forecast in Alabama includes multiple rounds of potentially severe thunderstorms from Saturday night through late Sunday night. “The main threat will be large hail, with the tornado threat being relatively lower,” National Weather Service in Birmingham said.
Mississippi’s governor submitted a request for a major disaster declaration to the federal government Saturday afternoon. The request will unlock FEMA aid. “The scale of the damage and loss is evident everywhere affected today. Homes, businesses … entire communities,” Reeves said on Twitter.

1/3

End of carousel
Live contributors 6
Skip to end of carousel
NihaMasih
VictoriaBisset
AdelaSuliman
TimothyBella
JustineMcDaniel
DanRosenzweig-Ziff

1/6

End of carousel
Loading...