Video: Emergency Responders Helping Winston County Storm Victims

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WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — Soon after the tornado touched down in Winston County, emergency response teams arrived searching for survivors, helping the injured and getting folks to safety. Emergency workers are still on the scene of the second deadliest tornado in Mississippi since 2000.

“We’re going to be here for the duration as long as there’s a need here, we’re going to be here to assist,” says Brett Carr, of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

MEMA arrived in Winston County just after the devastating twister left nine people dead and millions of dollars in property damage.

“We’re here assisting the local government. We’re here doing damage assessments. We’re riding through the community trying to get a preliminary number of how many homes and businesses are damaged,” says Carr.

MEMA is working with the American Red Cross and community organizations to provide shelter and food to victims of the storm. They’ve been working around the clock, helping the injured and reuniting families.

“Basically the needs last night were just trying to connect people with their loved ones, to let them get the assurance that their loved ones were alright. The injured, we made sure that we provided a way that they could get to the hospitals,” says Charles Hampton, a Board Member with the local American Red Cross.

First Baptist and First Methodist Church in Louisville are providing shelter for displaced residents. Hampton says the American Red Cross is doing all that it can to help but assistance is still needed.

“We definitely need help but the biggest thing that we need right now is water and paper goods,” says Hampton.

Donations can be taken to First Baptist Church. For MEMA assistance, go to www.msema.org or search Facebook for Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Go to www.redcross.org.