Initial Storm Reports from April 19 Severe Weather Event



PEARL, Miss. –  The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency continues to assist counties affected by the April 19, 2020 severe weather. No additional fatalities have been reported, so there remains only one storm-related death from Marion County.

The National Weather Service in Jackson says the EF-4 tornado reached winds of 170 mph, with a path of 54.2 miles long and a max width of 1 ¼ miles. The violent tornado began in southeastern Walthall County and tracked east/northeast through Marion, Lamar and Forrest Counties before dissipating in western Perry County.

At this time, nine counties have submitted damage reports to MEMA.

These are initial reports; numbers could change throughout today and the upcoming days.

  • Amite – 7 homes damaged/affected
  • Forrest – 8 homes damaged
  • Hancock – 10 homes damaged/affected
  • Jackson – 1 home destroyed, 1 farm building destroyed
  • Lamar – 1 home and 3 mobile homes destroyed, 8 homes and 7 mobile homes with major damage, 2 businesses destroyed
  • Marion – Estimated 20 homes damaged, 1 Fire Station on Hurricane Creek Road destroyed
  • Perry – 3 homes damaged
  • Smith – 1 home with major damage
  • Walthall – 10 homes damaged/affected

For those that sustained damage during the April 19 severe weather, you’re encouraged to report that damage using our citizen self-reporting tool: https://www.msema.org/contact/crisistrackcsr/

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency continues to work with local county EMA directors to assess the need for long-term sheltering. The statewide shelter-in-place remains in effect. We want to remind people to social distance as best as possible and if you’re in a public shelter, wear some kind of mask to cover your mouth and nose to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

 


 

PEARL, Miss. –  The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is assisting counties affected by the April 19, 2020 severe weather. At the time of this release there are more than 8,000 customers without power across the state. One storm-related death from Marion County has been reported to the agency.

At this time, five counties have submitted damage reports to MEMA.

These are initial reports, numbers could change throughout today and the upcoming days.

(Not all five counties are listed below)

  • Forrest – 8 homes damaged, 25 roads closed due to debris
  • Marion – 20 homes damaged, 20+ roads closed due to debris, one fire station on Hurricane Creek Road Destroyed
  • Jackson – one home destroyed, one home major damage

For those that sustained damage during the April 19 severe weather, you’re encouraged to report that damage using our citizen self-reporting tool: https://www.msema.org/contact/crisistrackcsr/

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is working with local county EMA directors to assess the need for long-term sheltering. The statewide shelter-in-place remains in effect. We want to remind people to social distance as best as possible and if you’re in a public shelter, wear some kind of mask to cover your mouth and nose to help slow the spread of COVID-19.