Mississippi Tornado Kills at Least 23 as Videos Show Scale of Destruction

At least 23 people have been killed by a powerful tornado that struck Mississippi and Alabama as videos of widespread destruction emerged on social media.

The number of reported dead as a result of the tornado in Mississippi's Sharkey County has risen to 13, according to CNN citing county coroner Angelica Easton.

Three further people were reported dead by the coroner in Carroll County and another two were killed in Monroe County. Three people have also been reported dead in Humphreys County.

The National Weather Service issued an alert describing the tornado as "a life-threatening situation."

"Flying debris may be deadly to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be destroyed. Considerable damage to homes, businesses, and vehicles is likely and complete destruction is possible," the National Weather Service warned.

Videos shared to social media showed the scale of destruction from the tornado late on Friday and early Saturday morning.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol shared some images of the damage on one of its official Twitter accounts. Those pictures showed destruction in Silver City, in the state's Humphreys County.

Arkansas storm tracker Zachary Hall sharing footage showing the tornado and flashes of lightning in a dark sky in Rolling Fork, Mississippi.

"This was a violent tornado and we will never forget some of the things we've experienced on this night," Hall tweeted.

Hall shared another video that showed what he described as "Vehicles tossed, building demolished" in Rolling Fork. The footage showed a damaged vehicle and a large amount of debris.

A video shared by BNO News Live also showed widespread destruction in Rolling Fork.

Storm chaser Chris Hall also shared some videos from the tornado in Rolling Fork. In one of those videos, driving rain can be seen as well as a significant amount of debris on the ground.

"We are fine, rolling fork is not... They need all the help that they can get as soon as possible search and rescue still ongoing," Hall tweeted at around 9.30 p.m. E.T. on Friday.

Another video Hall shared from Rolling Fork showed more debris and damaged trees amid rain and wind.

Fellow storm chaser Jordan Hall later shared a video showing severe destruction in Rolling Fork on Saturday morning.

Alabama Tornado Warning

Tornado warnings for parts of the state of Alabama were issued by the National Weather Service in Huntsville, Alabama overnight but their official Twitter account has subsequently announced that their areas of coverage are no longer under tornado warnings.

"All areas covered by NWS Huntsville are now cleared from the Watch. Once again, storm surveys will be coming for areas impacted by a tornado. Please be vigilant tonight & into Sat as work crews sort thru damaged areas," NWS Huntsville tweeted at 2.38a.m local time.

The official Twitter account of the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama noted at 2.20 a.m. that "no news is good news."

"We'll hop back on here if storms look like they're trying to become severe; otherwise, just expect some heavy rain, lightning/thunder, and gusty winds as this activity continues to move across central Alabama," the NWS account said.

Mississippi Forecast

The National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi tweeted early on Saturday that "The tornado watch has expired across our forecast area. Additional showers and thunderstorms are expected across our area, however, these storms are not expected to become severe."

The NWS has warned of possible severe storms in the state on Sunday, however.

"Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible Sunday afternoon and evening for parts of the forecast area. The primary hazards will be large hail and damaging winds," NWS guidance says.

Update 03/25/23 05.30 a.m. E.T.: This article was updated to include more information.

Update 03/25/23 7:50 a.m. E.T.: This article was updated to include more information about reported fatalities.

Update 03/25/23 4:22 p.m. E.T.: The number of fatalities was updated.