A large tornado, which can be seen above, tore through the northern Mississippi city of Holly Springs on Wednesday, killing a 7-year-old child and injuring more than a dozen others, Fox 13 Memphis reports.
Two other people were killed in Benton County, the county’s sheriff said.
Officials say the tornado caused significant damage in Holly Springs, a city of about 8,000 residents near the border of Mississippi and Tennessee.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said at least 40 people were injured statewide. The agency said on Facebook, “Extensive damage being reported in Marshall, Benton, Tippah, Coahoma, Panola and Quitman counties. Please stay out of the area if possible to allow first responders to work.”
Another video of the tornado can be seen below:
Really strong piece of video in Holly Springs, MS earlier this evening of the wedge tornado. Vid: @Shwags_wxchaser
Storm chasers captured the same storm system in Clarksdale, Mississippi:
And it was also seen in Sardis, Mississippi:
Tornado near Sardis, MS late this afternoon. Same storm that tracked through Holly Springs, MS.. @reedtimmerTVN
Photos from reporters and witnesses show some of the damage:
Tornado damage near Holly Springs, MS… photos from David Moore
Photo: Damage seen to trees, vehicles along road in Holly Springs, Miss., aftere tornado emergency – @fivetoewally:
The tornado moved across a large area of Mississippi and Tennessee, according to a preliminary damage track by the National Weather Service:
A preliminary damage track from the exceptionally long-track, violent tornado today. Keep N. MS in your thoughts.
A tornado watch remains in place for the Holly Springs area until 8 p.m. Central, the National Weather Service says.
The weather service says the threat of powerful thunderstorms and tornadoes will continue into the evening for Holly Springs and northern Mississippi.
Storms could also hit Kentucky, Tennessee, far southern Indiana, far southern Illinoi, southeast Missouri, eastern Arkansas and northwest Alabama
“An outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes is forecast today into tonight from the Ohio Valley into the Tennessee and lower Mississippi Valleys. The greatest risk for a few intense, long-tracked tornadoes will exist over western Tennessee into northern Mississippi and eastern Arkansas this afternoon into tonight,” the weather service says.
