Tornadoes in North MS

[Jill]

Tornadoes scare the crap out of me. I'm glad everyone in the affected states here are all okay! If you have noplace else to go in a tornado, grab your mattress, get in the bathtub and pull the mattress over you. Everybody stay safe!

[HungLikeJesus]

What if you have a water bed?

[Jill]

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

What if you have a water bed?

Sofa cushions.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

What if you have a water bed?

It's a bath tub. Perfect for holding water. No worries.

[HungLikeJesus]

Humor?

[Big Sarge]

More news:

SMITHVILLE – The death toll is expected to rise today after a devastating tornado Wednesday left this north Monroe County community in shambles.

“People are walking around in shock with broken arms and all sorts of injuries, and folks are looking for their loved ones,” said Marsha Houck, a nurse practitioner who, like many volunteers, walked into the devastation along state Highway 25 and started helping in any way she could.

The tornado, which struck about 3:45 p.m., was part of an unprecedented round of tornadic activity that crossed the region and headed into Alabama and Georgia. And while communities throughout Mississippi were affected, none felt the fury the way Smithville did.

Early unofficial reports indicated that as many as 12 people could be dead, and the degree of destruction indicated that the number could go higher.

No building along a mile-long stretch through town was unaffected, and most were destroyed.

More than 15 volunteer fire departments were on the scene late Wednesday, along with EMS and law enforcement from throughout Northeast Mississippi. The roads were barely passable, and as the rain continued to fall, firefighters gathered in a service shed and received their orders from Chief Scott Morgan of the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department. Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson and a crew of deputies and inmates were among the ones assigned to search for survivors and recover the dead. Johnson said his crew found five bodies while digging through the rubble. Homes with bodies in them were marked with two orange Xs.

“A small utility shed beside a water tower served as a temporary morgue, and inside, as of 7 p.m., three bodies lay wrapped in black bags and personnel said more were almost certain to come.

The storm was part of a rash of tornadoes that swept the region Wednesday, carving a path of destruction that broke both bodies and buildings.

In addition to the Monroe County fatalities, weather-related deaths in north Mississippi were reported in Lafayette, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Webster and Marshall counties. Deaths also were reported in Yazoo and Kemper counties.

The high winds, rain and hail, accompanied by tornado watches and warnings, pounded the region until late in the afternoon, when Chickasaw County was hit by two tornadoes and Monroe County suffered its destructive blow.

Smithville’s campus, which houses kindergarten to 12th grades, was rendered unusable. School had dismissed 30 minutes early, at 2:30, and all of its roughly 600 students were off campus by the time the storm hit.

Roofs were damaged on every building on campus and downed power lines wove multiple webs around the facilities. Trees were cracked, limbs were everywhere and fence posts were bent to the ground. The tornado leveled the school’s gymnasium, ripping open its roof and leaving its contents exposed to the elements.

Smithville Baptist Church and neighboring Smithville United Methodist Church were both destroyed. The Baptist church had an inverted Chevy truck on top of its roof where its offices once stood. The church bus lay on its side in a nearby ditch.

The town of Wren, about 17 miles away, also sustained significant damage, said Wren residents Amy and Eddie Pennington.

Eddie Pennington was driving when he saw multiple tornadoes.

“I stopped and I saw three tornadoes,” he said. “They split off and two went toward Smithivlle and one went toward Wren.”

Just before Monroe County was hit, two tornadoes swept across Chickasaw County, killing at least one person and injuring 10.

[Sundae]

Sarge, I'm really sorry to hear that.
Dad picked me up from the supermarket this afternoon and I heard the tailend of a news report. I asked, "Where was that?" and he said, "Oh storms in America somewhere."

I didn't realise it was anywhere near you.
I forget I'm a global citizen sometimes.

Much love and support to yo0u and those you know.

[Big Sarge]

We've got 32 confirmed dead. I believe's there 128 dead in Al. Here's the video of the one that hit Wren

[Big Sarge]

Here's the one that hit Smithville

[glatt]

Boston Globe has some amazing pictures of the devastation.

[Uday]

Originally Posted by glatt

Boston Globe has some amazing pictures of the devastation.

This is terrible. I have heard that the hospitals are under a great deal of strain.

[BigV]

Big Sarge--

Man, I'm so sorry to hear about the devastation in your area--I am greatly relieved to hear the LEO that died protecting his daughter wasn't you like I'd feared.

Take maximum care.

[Big Sarge]

We have weather sirens even in the small towns and out in the county. One of the deadliest tornadoes of all time was in my home town. Everybody in our area keps an eye on the weather

[TheMercenary]

Blew through here over the last few hours, we came out unscathed.

[Uday]

Originally Posted by Big Sarge

One of the saddest things was a Covington police officer was camping in a tent with his daughter. The tornado dropped a huge oak on them. He was able to shield her with his body, but he died of massive head injuries.

I am thinking there are worse reasons to die.

What father would not do this thing?