Fatal Tornado Outbreak Cuts Across Mississippi on Easter Sunday

A fatal tornado outbreak cut across Mississippi on Easter Sunday, state officials said.

NOW REPORTING DEATHS.

MANY MOREREPORTING MAJOR DAMAGE.16 WAPT'S ROSS ADAMS IS LIVETONIGHT AFTERTALKING WITH GOVERNOR TATEREEVES ABOUT HISSTATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARATION THE GOVERNOR'S STATE OFEMERGENCYDECLARATION COMES AFTER STORMSLEFTBEHIND A TRAIL OF DESTRUCTIONANDDEATHS.

AND GOVERNOR REEVES SAID HEBELIEVES THEDEATH TOLL COULD STILL RISE.TONIGHT SEARCH AND RESCUE CREWSARE IN SOME OF THE HARDEST HITAREAS LOOKING FORPEOPLE WHO MAY BE TRAPPED INTHEIRHOMES.ONE DRAWBACK FOR FIRST RESPONDERSOMESTORMS STRUCK LATE IN THEEVENING JUSTBEFORE THE SUN WENT DOWN.

AND SO THAT JUST IN AND OFITSELFCOMPLICATES RESCUE MATTERS I'MAFRAID THAT THIS IS GOING TOGO ON THROUGHOUT THE EVENING I'MPROBABLYTHROUGH A GOOD PART OF THE DAYTOMORROW.MEMA SAID THERE ARE DAMAGEREPORTS IN AT LEAST NINECOUNTIES.

COMING UP LATER WHAT THE STATEDID TO KEEP RESCUE CREWS IN THESTORM ZONE SAFE FROMCOVID-19.TODD ADAMS 16 WAPT NEWS.

CREWS ARE SEARCHING FOR PEOPLEWHO MAY BETRAPPED IN JEFFERSON DAVISCOUNTY.

16 WAPT'S JEWELLHILLIARY WAS THERE ASTEAMS PREPARED FOR SEARCH ANDRESCUEEFFORTS.

JEWELL ON CAMDAMAGE IN THE TOWN OF SEMINARYIS EXTENSIVE.

THE STRUCTUREBEHIND ME WHICH LOOKS LIKE ITWAS A WAREHOUSE OR STORAGE HOUSEISDESTROYED.

TREES ARE DOWN ANDFAMILIES AREDOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO TRYAND PICK UPTHE PIECES.NATS OF EMERGENCY VEHICLE SOTERNIE HARRIS/SEMINARY RESIDENT00:30"IT'S GONE AIN'T NOTHIN LEFT"ERNIE HARRIS LIVES OFF HIGHWAY49 IN SEMINARYAND HAS LOST EVERYTHING.

THESTORMTHAT CAME THROUGH COVINGTONCOUNTYFLIPPED VEHICLES OVER, TORETHROUGH TREEAND DESTROYED NUMEROUS HOMES.SOT ERNIE HARRIS00:17"THAT HOUSE WAS ROLLING ITPICKED IT UP PUT IT BACK DOWNTHE TOP CAME OFF OF IT ALLTHE STUFF STARTED FLYING IN THEAIR ANDTORNADO MOVED THORUGH.

EXTENSIVEDAMAGE THERE.MUCH OF IT IN THE SOSO AND SHADYGROVECOMMUNITIES.THIS IS WHERE I GREW UP.

FRIENDSSHARED THESE PICTURES OF SOME OFTHE DOZENS OF HOMES ANDBUILDINGS DAMAGED.VOLUNTEERS WERE GOING HOUSE TOHOUSERESCUING SOME FAMILIES TRAPPED.

MASSIVE WINDS TOOK THEIR TOLL INWALTHALLCOUNTY WHERE ONE PERSON DIED ANDTHE STORM RECOVERY WILL EASILYTAKE DAYS ANDWEEKS.16 WAPT'S SCOTT SIMMONS WASTHEREAND SPOKE TO THE VICTIM'SFAMILYSCOTT SIMMONS/REPORTI NG: STORMVICTIMS PICKING UP THEDAMAGE LEFT FROM THIS STORM NOTFAR OVER THERE IS WHERETHE LONE VICTIM LOST HIS LIFE HEWAS ACTUALLY CAUGHT IN THEPATH OF THE STORM WHILE OUTSIDEHIS OWN HOME.LATESHA DILLON/VICTIM'S SISTER:WE RAN BACK IN THE HOUSE AND THETORNADO JUSTTORE EVERY THING...EVERYTHIN GJUST RIPPED OFF AND HE WAS JUSTGONE, GONE .LATESHA DILLON SAYS HER BROTHER,45 YEAROLD MAXIE DILLON WAS KILLED WHENHE CAUGHTIN THE TORNADO THAT TURNED THEIRHOMEINTO SPLINTERS.LATESHA DILLON/VICTIM'S SISTER:THE WIND PICKED UP HISWHOLE HOUSE AND IT JUST SWUNGAND IT HIT HIM THAT IS ALL I CANASSUME BECAUSE MY MOMMA AND IWALKED OVER HIM TRYING TO FINDHIM.A MASSIVE SWATH OF DESTRUCTIONTHROUGHWALTHALL COUNTY ...CHALLENGINGEMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO GETTHROUGH.FREDERICKMAGEE/HELPING CLEAR DEBRIS: WEGOT OUT AND STARTING CUTTINGTREES AND DOING WHATEVER WECOULD DO BECAUSE IT IS ANAMAZING TRAGEDY.MASSIVE TREES SNAPPED IN TWO...HOMES LAID TO WASTE WITH SOMERESIDENTSBARELY GETTING TO COVER IN TIME.KEVIN MONTGOMERY/STORM VICTIM: WE CAN GET ANOTHERHOUSE ANOTHER CAR BUT WE CAN'TGET ANOTHER LIFE.RESIDENTS SAY THEY HAVE SEENTORNADOSBEFORE BUT NOTHING LIKE THE ONETHAT CAMETHIS EASTER SUNDAY AND LEFT WITHTHEM AMEMORY THEY WOULD RATHER NOTHAVE.MICHAEL JORDAN/STORM VICTIM: ITWAS LIKE TWO BIG OLE TRAINSCOMING DOWN THERAILROAD TRACKS AND MAKING A LOTOF NOISE AND I HAVE NEVEREXPERIENCED SOMETHING LIKE THISIN MY LIFE.

IT WAS REALLY BAD!SCOTT SIMMONS/REPORTI NG: IT ISSO DARK IT HARD FOR RESIDENTS TOGET A GRIP OF JUSTHOW MUCH DAMAGE WAS DONE SOMEARE TRYING TO GATHER WHATVALUABLES THEY CAN AND PLAN TORESUME THE WORK MONDAY MORNING.IJN WALTHALL COUNTY SCOTTSIMMONS 16 WAPT NEWS