Tornado rips through Mississippi Delta, killing at least seven

A deadly tornado moved through the Mississippi Delta Friday night, killing at least seven people, authorities said.

The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado caused damage about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northeast of Jackson, Mississippi. The rural towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork were reporting destruction as the tornado continued sweeping northeast at 70 mph (113 kph) without weakening, racing towards Alabama through towns including Winona and Amory into the night.

At least seven people were killed by the tornado in Mississippi, Sharkey County Coroner Angelia Easton told ABC News. Rolling Fork is located in Sharkey County.

At 8:05 p.m. the National Weather Service office in Jackson confirmed a tornado was on the ground and headed towards Rolling Fork, a Delta community with a population of nearly 2,000 people.

According to those tracking the tornado's path, by 9:30 p.m. it had traveled more than 100 miles. At that point, it was northeast of Winona.

Early reports on social media showed potentially devastating damage, though the full extent will likely not be known until daybreak.

By 9:40 p.m., about an hour and a half after the tornado first touched down, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency issued a statement saying search and rescue assets had been deployed to Sharkey and Humphreys counties, where reports of significant damage were beginning to emerge.

The statement from MEMA further indicated that health assets were assessing conditions at the Sharkey-Issaquena Community Hospital. Multiple news reports indicated that the hospital had been damaged by the storm. A full assessment of damages will begin in the morning, according to the statement.

Early reports showed more than 23,000 without power. That total includes nearly all tracked customers in Sharkey, Humphreys and Montgomery counties.

More devastating tornado reports near Amory then surfaced later Friday. Social media accounts indicated that the north part of the town was impacted particularly strongly. The National Weather Service office Memphis had earlier reported a Tornado Emergency moving toward the area.

Storm chasers on social media quickly began sharing images Friday night of significant damage in Rolling Fork, Silver City and other areas, including overturned cars, downed trees and power lines and significant amounts of debris.

Video showed a large funnel on the ground illuminated by lightning strikes.

Gov. Tate Reeves took to Twitter shortly after reports of the storm's damage emerged to call for prayers.

"Many in the MS Delta need your prayer and God’s protection tonight. We have activated medical support—surging more ambulances and other emergency assets for those affected. Search and rescue is active. Watch weather reports and stay cautious through the night, Mississippi!" Reeves said.

By 11:10 p.m., as the storm system moved into northwest Alabama, near Hamilton, meteorologists began reporting that the storm, which at that point had traveled nearly 200 miles, was weakening significantly.

Rescue crews continue to search for trapped residents in areas across the state impacted by the event. Updates are expected early Saturday morning.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tornado rips through Mississippi Delta, killing at least seven