26 Mississippi counties are under a tornado threat until 11 p.m.
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Mississippi Emergency Management Agency officials have preliminarily categorized Friday's Rolling Fork and Silvery City tornado with an EF-4 rating.
An EF-4 tornado has top wind gusts from 166 mph to 200 mph, according to the weather service.
Late Saturday, MEMA officials confirmed that the death toll had risen to 25 with Rolling Fork being the hardest-hit area of the state.
MEMA also issued several safety guidelines for the areas affected, encouraging residents to boil water, avoid downed power lines, to work in tandem on chainsaws, cutting wood only and to position generators away from structures.
On Saturday, Gov. Tate Reeves issued a state of emergency for the area, asking for a federal designation. FEMA officials are expected to arrive in the area Sunday.
President Joe Biden early Sunday issued an emergency declaration for Mississippi, making federal funding available to Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe and Sharkey counties, the areas hardest hit Friday night. Biden called the damage "heartbreaking."
Shelter locations were set up in the National Guard Armory in Rolling Fork as well as the Humphreys County Multipurpose Building in Belzoni and the Old Amory National Guard Building.
Update at 5:30: Before and after satellite photos of Rolling Fork
Striking satellite images of a site in Rolling Fork were released Sunday, showing the before and after of Friday's deadly tornado that claimed 25 lives across the state and one more in Alabama.
Update at 4 p.m.: Much of central, southern MS under a tornado watch
The National Weather Service in Jackson issued a tornado watch for areas of central and southern Mississippi until 11 p.m.
Affected counties include Adams, Claiborne, Clarke, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, Hinds, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lincoln, Leake, Madison, Marion, Neshoba, Newton, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith and Warren.
3:15 p.m.: Central Mississippi weather conditions revised
An earlier forecast for severe weather in central Mississippi has been upgraded to "moderate" from "slight."
The main threats will be the potential for tornadoes some strong, large hail up to tennis ball size and damaging winds up to 70 mph.
Areas may see the threat for flash flooding due to numerous thunderstorms over the same locations, especially in areas along and south of Interstate and along and east of Interstate 55. will
Between 2 inches and 4 inches of rain in a short period is possible with the storms.
The severe weather threat is expected to last until 11 p.m.
Update at 12:54: Non-partisan political showing
Republican U.S Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith joined Democratic U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson for a press conference in Rolling Fork to update the state and federal response to the disastrous tornado that swept through the Delta and onto Northeast Mississippi.
Gov. Tate Reeves, who a day earlier had declared a state of emergency and asked President Joseph Biden for help, was also on site, touring the damage in Rolling Fork.
Update at Noon: Mail suspended to Rolling Fork
On Saturday, U.S. postal delivery was suspended to the Rolling Fork area. Postal service officials announced that on Monday, mail delivery will resume "where it is safe to do so."
Customers with proper identification may pick up their P.O. Box mail at the Mobile Retail Unit in the Rolling Fork Post Office parking lot effective Monday, March 27.
Update at 11:30: How to help the victims
Residents in the tornado's path have been left without shelter, food and necessities. There are many ways to donate items and money to support the communities' needs.
For a detailed list, see here.
More severe weather expected today in Mississippi
More severe weather is expected in much of the state today beginning around 2 p.m., according to MEMA and the National Weather Service.
Damaging winds of up to 70 mph and large hail are expected. Tornadoes cannot be ruled out.
Affected areas include central and southern Mississippi. Impact to the areas affected by Friday's storms is not expected.
Federal aid available for storm victims
President Joe Biden declared a major disaster exists in the State of Mississippi and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes from March 24 to March 25, 2023.
The action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, and Sharkey.
For more information, click here.
This is a developing story. Come back to the Clarion Ledger for updates.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Rolling Fork MS tornado death toll at 25 and rising, categorized as an EF-4
