Tornadoes swept across the Southeast on Saturday, leaving at least 15 dead and another 43 injured in Mississippi and Georgia.
Catherine Howden, a spokeswoman for Georgia’s emergency management agency, told the New York Times that there have been 11 storm-related deaths and 23 people injured in both the central and southern parts of the state. There have also been up to 20 reports of tornadoes there, according to Howden.
Severe weather in Georgia is expected to continue into late Sunday night—a prediction that has prompted the state’s governor, Nathan Deal, to declare a state of emergency in seven counties there.
I’ve declared a State of Emergency for seven South Central Georgia Counties impacted by severe weather. More here: https://t.co/ZYsheshjtN
— Former Gov. Nathan Deal (@GovernorDeal) January 22, 2017
Reuters reports that President Donald Trump has spoken with Governor Deal and will soon speak with Florida Governor Rick Scott.
“The tornadoes were vicious and powerful and strong and they suffered greatly,” said Trump. “So we’ll be helping out.”
In Mississippi, the state’s emergency agency released a statement on its website that said that a tornado has killed at least four people and caused more than 20 injuries. There has also been “extensive damage” in one of the counties there, according to the agency, though the total cost of the damage is not yet clear.
Phil Bryant, Mississippi’s governor, has also called for a state of emergency there. According to the Times, his decision came after power lines and debris began to take over Mississippi’s roads.
The weather also caused damage in parts of Alabama, Louisiana and Texas, the Times reports. However, information on whether anyone there had been killed or injured is not available, nor is the cost of the damage.
