PHOTOS: Multiple Tornadoes Leave Trail of Destruction in Southern US

Overnight, multiple tornadoes swept through Mississippi, killing one and injuring nearly two dozen, according to reports released on Monday.

State emergency personnel were still collaborating with counties to assess the damage caused by storms that in some areas were accompanied by high temperatures and hail. The death and injuries were reported by Jasper County officials in eastern Mississippi.

Tornadoes Tear Through Mississippi Overnight

The majority of the damage occurred in the small, rural community of Louin. Wide expanses of debris-covered terrain, demolished homes, and mangled trees were captured on video and in photographs captured by a drone. At least one individual was extricated from the wreckage using a stretcher.

On Monday, while standing in front of his damaged home, Lester Campbell told The Associated Press that his 67-year-old cousin George Jean Hayes was the victim. Monday via telephone, Jones County Coroner Don Sumrall reported that Hayes was pronounced dead at 2:18 a.m. due to "multisystem trauma."

Sunday evening, Campbell fell asleep in his recliner. After the lights went out at approximately 12 a.m., he awoke. The tornado struck after he walked to the kitchen to retrieve an item from the refrigerator. His wife had already taken refuge in his bedroom closet, so he dropped to the floor and crawled there. Once he reached the closet, the tornado had already passed.

The majority of those injured in Jasper County, including Hayes, were transported to the South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m., according to South Central Regional Medical Center spokesperson Becky Collins. Approximately twenty people sustained cuts and bruises. The majority of patients were in stable condition as of Monday morning.

Meteorologist Eric Carpenter of the National Weather Service in Jackson stated that an unseasonably strong jet stream blew through the region. At least 7 miles (11 kilometers) south of Louin, a tornado reached Bay Springs.

Typically, Mississippi experiences tornadoes from early to mid-spring, as per News18. Carpenter described the timing of the tornadoes, as well as the persistent thunder and hail, as "a very unusual situation."

At least 26 people were killed and thousands of homes were damaged on March 24 when a violent tornado ripped through parts of western and northern Mississippi, leaving a path of destruction and inflicting destruction. Rebuilding some towns in the rural, impoverished Mississippi Delta is a daunting task.

Damage Assessesments Continue

Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi stated that Rankin County, which borders the state capital of Jackson, was also hit by tornadoes on Monday. Search-and-rescue operations and damage assessments were being conducted by emergency personnel, who deployed drones in some areas that were inaccessible by vehicle due to downed power lines.

Monday afternoon, another possible tornado struck the town of Moss Point in southern Mississippi. Photos depicted homes with obliterated roofs and power lines that were angled.

Eight people were stranded inside a bank in downtown Moss Point as high winds and heavy rain blanketed Jackson County. They were eventually rescued unharmed. Monday, the county remained under a flash flood watch.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported in a Monday news release that more than 49,000 homes in central Mississippi were without power.

As of Monday morning, tens of thousands of residents in the state's most populous county, Hinds County, remained without power after strong winds pounded the state early Friday. Reeves stated that the state will open command centers and shelters for those affected by severe weather.

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Tornadoes, Mississippi