A string of severe storms stretching across several states spawned tornadoes in southern Mississippi early this morning. At least 60 homes were damaged and several residents were severely injured in the small town of Magee, about 40 miles southeast of Jackson.
According to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, there is widespread damage throughout the state but the hardest-hit community is in Simpson County.
Residents awoke to downed power lines, scraps of metal and fallen tree limbs littering the roads and highways. The damaging storm left the red brick Corinth Baptist Church destroyed with only the doors left standing.
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour declared a State of Emergency. Magee is in “dire straits”, said Mayor Jimmy Clyde, with no power, most of the roads into and out of the town are blocked, and the water supply is damaged. Search and rescue teams are actively trying to reach victims and determine the extent of damages.
This same storm system triggered tornado warnings in Memphis, Tenn., where the ABC television station gave their viewers safety tips from the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).
• Decide in advance where you'll take shelter, and if a tornado hits, go there immediately.
• Move anything in your yard that could become flying debris inside your home.
• Put together an emergency kit that has a 3-day supply of food and water, and include other things like
a flash light, extra set keys and important phone numbers.
While no home is tornado-proof, there are things you can do to increase your chance of surviving one. IBHS urges homeowners to reinforce all connections in their home. Keeping wind and water out is critical. IBHS offers several structural projects that will strengthen the structure and better prepare it should a storm hit. Inspecting and strengthening soffits, roof and entry doors as well as preparing the yard by creating the proper amount of defensible space are all great ways to better survive a storm.
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