After a strong tornado struck several states in the south, 26 people died. The tornado destroyed buildings and knocked out power.

Late Saturday afternoon, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency announced that the death toll has risen from 23 percent to 25%.

Four missing persons were found, but many others are still missing.

Alabama also reported one death, bringing the total to 26.

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On Friday, severe storms ravaged Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas, producing hail as large as golf balls. Authorities warned residents that they were in a “life-threatening” situation.

The National Weather Service sent out an alert to those in the path of the tornado, saying: “To save your life, TAKE OVER NOW!”

“You are in a dangerous situation. Without shelter, flying debris can be fatal to anyone who is caught. It is possible to cause significant damage to your home, business, or vehicle, as well as complete destruction.

In a Twitter posting, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency stated that search and rescue teams from both local and state agencies had been deployed to assist victims of the tornadoes.

According to the number of deaths, the storms that struck parts of Mississippi overnight were among the most deadly in Mississippi in over a decade.

On Friday night, the tornado destroyed Silver City and Rolling Fork in rural Mississippi. Then it continued to sweep northeast at 70mph towards Alabama.

CNN’s Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker stated that his community was virtually wiped out.

As daylight broke, video showed that houses were reduced to rubble, cars were flipped over and trees had their branches taken away. Sometimes, homes would survive the destruction, appearing to be unaffected.

“My city has been destroyed. But we are resilient, and we will come back strong,” said Mr Walker.

Continue reading: Photos showing how a deadly storm reduced buildings to rubble

Local newspaper Vicksburg News reported that people were trapped in rubble piles and that gas leaks had occurred in Rolling Fork.

In a statement, President Biden stated that he and his wife Jill were praying for the victims of the Mississippi tornadoes and those who are still missing.

“The images taken in Mississippi are heartbreaking. We are still trying to assess the extent of the damage but we know that many Americans are grieving for their loved ones and have lost their homes as well as businesses.

Shelters were provided for people whose homes were destroyed by the storms.

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Rolling Fork suffered so much damage that storm chasers, who often follow severe weather and put up livestreams showing dramatic funnel clouds, pleaded for help in search and rescue. Others drove the injured to the hospitals, abandoning the chase.

WAPT reported that the Sharkey-Issaquena Community Hospital, located on the west side Rolling Fork, was damaged.

Local media reported that some law enforcement units in Sharkey County, where Rolling Fork is located, were not found.

According to poweroutage.us 40,000 customers had no power in Tennessee, 15,000 in Mississippi and 20,000 in Alabama.

Mississippi’s storms were not as devastating as the ones that killed 31 people in April 2011.

Five people were injured when two tornadoes with 100mph winds struck Texas on Friday morning.

Walker Ashley, University of Northern Illinois University meteorology professor, stated that the initial storm was a supercell. This produces the most destructive hail and tornadoes.

He said Friday’s storm was a nighttime, wet one that is “the worst type”.

Two people drowned in Missouri’s torrential rains on Friday, as a result of which a car was earlier swept away.

According to the weather service, tornado watches were still in effect in some parts of eastern Mississippi and northern Alabama as of Saturday morning. These watches had been in effect for almost the entire state of Mississippi earlier.