Another fatality has been confirmed stemming from severe storms and tornadoes that battered portions of Mississippi over the weekend, bringing the state’s death count to seven.
Gov. Tate Reeves confirmed the latest fatality Tuesday morning, saying it was reported in Walthall County. The victim’s identity has not been released.
“Sadly, another death was reported in Walthall County, bringing the statewide total to seven,” Reeves wrote on social media. “Please join [First Lady Elee Reeves] and me in praying for their family and friends during this difficult time.”
Walthall County had three others killed on Saturday when a tornado ripped through a mobile home community in Darbun: 7-year-old Carter Young, 34-year-old Gabrielle Pierre, and 42-year-old Jeffery Irvin. Young was inside a mobile home that was destroyed, while Pierre and Irvin were inside the home next door.
In Jefferson Davis County, coroner Dedra Johnson reported family members were killed in the Oak Vale-Society Hill area: 36-year-old Ryan Tolbird and his stepmother, 56-year-old Mary Suzette Tolbird.
In Covington County, officials reported 67-year-old James Lott was killed in Seminary. Reeves, when visiting impacted areas on Monday, visited with Lott’s wife and said her sister was one of nearly 30 people statewide injured by the storms.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is reporting 17 confirmed tornadoes between separate systems on Friday and Saturday. The strongest tornado was an EF-4 that started in Louisiana and traveled through Pike, Walthall, Marion, Jefferson Davis, and Covington counties. It had a maximum wind speed of 170 miles per hour and stayed on the ground for 65.2 miles.
As of now, 21 counties are reporting damage including 715 homes, 29 businesses, and 16 farms. Those numbers are expected to increase as assessments continue.
