Multiple hurricanes ripped through Mississippi on Sunday, blowing the roofs off homes, felling trees and tearing down power lines in the city of Tupelo and elsewhere.
Images shared on social media showed trees pulled out from their roots by the enormous twister, which was moving at 45mph, which also left a Tupelo gas station in tatters.
Footage captured by residents revealed the size of the cloud tunnel, which dwarfed nearby homes and brought high winds that shook street lights.
‘Emergency crews are currently assessing the degree of damage,’ the mayor’s office said in a statement on Facebook, urging people to stay in their homes.
‘Please do not get out and drive. It is dangerous – there are reports that power lines are down in the roads,’ it said.
A video shared on social media showed the enormous tornado swirling menacingly behind some homes in Tupelo as sirens wailed in the background
A destructive tornado ripped through Tupelo, Mississippi on Sunday, blowing the roofs off homes, felling trees and tearing down power lines
There were no immediate reports of injuries but images shared on social media showed extensive damage, including to this gas station
Damage to a building and some trees is seen on Front Street and Rea Street in Tupelo on Sunday
‘Prayers that all are safe, and please keep our crews and first responders in your prayers also.’
There were no immediate reports of injuries but images shared on social media showed extensive damage to homes and power lines in Tupelo, where the streets were swamped with debris.
Tupelo Middle School sustained some damage, as well as a gas station, which was seen lying in ruins in an image shared on Twitter.
‘This is a life-threatening situation,’ the National Weather Service (NWS) wrote on Twitter.
‘Please take shelter in the Tupelo area.’
An NWS warning issued shortly before 10pm said the tornado had been moving northeast at 45mph.
Residents have been urged to stay in their homes while emergency crews assess the damage. Several trees and power lines have been compromised by the storm
Tupelo Middle School (pictured) sustained some damage as the tornado passed through the city on Sunday
Footage shared on Twitter showed the enormous twister swirling behind some homes as sirens wailed in the background.
Another video, which appears to be security camera footage from the city’s Main Street, showed a streetlight and trees being buffeted by high winds and rain as debris was blown across the road.
Local media reported that there was extensive damage around the Elvis Presley Museum Area in Tupelo, which is Presley’s birthplace. It is not clear whether the museum itself sustained any damage.
High winds from the tornado damaged buildings and felled trees in the city, where emergency crews are assessing the extent of the damage
A fallen power line in Tupelo after a tornado ripped through the city on Sunday afternoon and evening
In the coming says, survey crews from the organisation will examine the damage to determine the exact strength, width and path length of each of the tornadoes, AccuWeather reported. Pictured: Fallen trees in Tupelo
Multiple tornadoes were reported across Mississippi as a line of severe storms rolled through the state on Sunday afternoon and into the nighttime hours. Pictured: Damage in Tupelo
Tupelo resident Tyquan Wofford told WTVA that he was playing video games when the tornado arrived.
Momma said It was a tornado getting ready to come through,’ the 17-year-old said.
‘Then all I heard was a tornado siren going off. And then I just heard “roof, roof, roof,” and then I heard boom, boom, boom, boom.
‘I didn’t know what was going on. I walked outside, and I saw trees down and everything.’
Multiple tornadoes were reported across Mississippi as a line of severe storms rolled through the state on Sunday afternoon and into the nighttime hours.
Active tornado warnings remained in place on Sunday night.
News outlets also reported tornadoes near Yazoo City, Byram and Tchula earlier in the day.
The town of Calhoun City, about 50 miles southwest of Tupelo, also suffered damage from the tornadoes.
CNN reported that several trees had fallen onto homes and vehicles but there were no reports of injuries.
NWS’s Storm Prediction Center said that 19 tornados had been detected in Mississippi on Sunday, with one spotted in Louisiana.
In the coming says, survey crews from the organisation will examine the damage to determine the exact strength, width and path length of each of the tornadoes, AccuWeather reported.
A video, which appears to be security camera footage from the city’s Main Street, showed a streetlight and trees being buffeted by high winds and rain as debris was blown across the road
Source Article from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9536815/Destructive-tornado-rips-Tupelo-Mississippi-causing-life-threatening-situation.html
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