MEMA Receives Reports of Second Death, Storm Damage

PEARL, Miss. (Press Release) — The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has received a report of a second severe weather related death. A Coahoma County man died as a result of injuries sustained from the storm. A child was also killed in Yazoo County after being swept away by flood waters.

The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-2 tornado touched down in Covington County, north of the City of Collins, around 2 a.m. on Monday. Eight minor injuries were reported as a result of the tornado.

The National Weather Service says the next chance for severe weather is Sunday into Monday. The greatest risk will be damaging winds, hail and the possibility of tornadoes. The NWS is forecasting one to two inches of rain with the possibility of three or more inches in some areas.

MEMA is in contact with all county emergency managers in affected counties to assist with any resources. The State Emergency Operations Center is activated to coordinate the state’s response to severe weather and ongoing flooding.

Several rivers have flooded and may continue to rise until they crest within the next few days. The Pearl River in portions of central and south Mississippi, the Strong River in D’Lo and Tallahala Creek in Laurel are all above flood stage.

Damage reports have been submitted to MEMA from 25 counties. The counties reporting damages are as follows:

• Bolivar: Three homes and two businesses with minor damage.
• Chickasaw: One home destroyed, three homes and two businesses with major damage and one home and one business with minor damage. One injury.
• Clarke: Several areas were flooded.
• Coahoma: One home destroyed and one home with major damage. One death.
• Covington: 28 homes destroyed, nine homes and one business with major damage and 31 homes with minor damage. Eight injuries.
• Grenada: One home with major damage and 11 homes and one business with minor damage.
• Hinds: Several areas were flooded.
• Holmes: One home with minor damage.
• Jones: Several areas were flooded.
• Kemper: Two homes with major damage and five homes with minor damage.
• Lawrence: Several areas flooded.
• Neshoba: Three homes destroyed, nine homes with major damage and eight homes with minor damage. Two roads damaged.
• Newton: 11 homes with minor damage.
• Noxubee: A few homes damaged.
• Panola: A few homes damaged. One injury.
• Pike: Several homes damaged. One injury.
• Pontotoc: 13 homes with minor damage.
• Quitman: A few homes damaged.
• Rankin: Several homes with damaged.
• Simpson: One business with major damage and 12 homes with minor damage.
• Tishomingo: One home destroyed.
• Union: Five homes and one business with minor damage.
• Wayne: Several areas were flooded.
• Webster: Trees and power lines were down.
• Yazoo: Several areas flooded. One death.

Damage assessments are still ongoing in some counties. Damage report updates will be released as they become available.

MEMA urges the public to report damages to your local Emergency Management Agency. For a list of contact numbers for your county, visit www.msema.org/local-ema.

For more information, go to MEMA’s website at www.msema.org or download the MEMA mobile app on your iOS or Android device.

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