Post MS twister recovery contrasts

Down-grading death toll in Mississippi: The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency downgraded the death toll in Friday's storm in an announcement on Monday morning. Previously reported at 25 dead, MEMA announced March 27 that the death toll now stands at 21. They did not account for the discrepancy. (Clarion Ledger 03/27/23) MS tornado recovery begins, volunteers arrive to help (clarionledger.com)

Picking up the pieces in MS: Seven years of Rolling Fork, Miss., life lay in a pile around Glen Spells' ankles. Few pieces of Friday's tornado-ravaged duplex rental unit remained upright. Uncertain of tomorrow, he and two friends worked at throwing its contents to the lawn. "We didn’t have insurance for any of this,” said Spells, who rented the property with his girlfriend. He's looking ahead but doesn’t believe the future includes Rolling Fork. 

Pesident Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Mississippi early Sunday, unlocking federal aid to assist in recovery efforts after twisters with wind gusts of 166 mph flattened buildings and killing at least 25 people in Mississippi - 13 in Rolling Fork - and one in Alabama. 

Rolling Fork and Silver City twisters registered 4-out-of-5 on the intensity level. The U.S. averages 1,150 to 1,200 tornadoes per year. EF4s make up just about 1% of that total.  

The damage - one of the worst on record in the state - presents tough challenges for the majority-Black communities most affected where many live below the poverty line.  Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker, who is the local funeral director, said he personally lost friends to the tornadoes. 

Standards of living and luck are revealing a stark contrast between how quickly some residents will put their lives back together compared with others. 

According to Census Bureau figures for Rolling Fork, with a population of 2,000, more than 80% of residents are Black and about 21% live below the poverty line - higher than the state average. Roughly 30 percent of residents live in mobile homes, which are significantly more vulnerable to tornado damage. 

In Silver City, 30 miles east of Rolling Fork, few buildings are left standing in the community of about 200. Timaka James-Jones, a local official, said nothing like this had ever hit the area where she has lived her entire life.

 NWS reported that the twister was on the ground for 59 miles. Fewer than 1% of tornadoes in the U.S. travel more than 50 miles, according to NWS data between 1950-2021. 

Scattered severe storms are expected in parts of the South and Southeast on Monday and Tuesday, especially along the Gulf Coast. During the second half of the workweek, the South should catch a break. (Washington Post 03/27/23) A disaster in Mississippi: How severe EF-4 tornadoes wrecked Rolling Fork - The Washington Post