After tornadoes in Parker Co., Texas, injured two people this week, a surge of tornadoes further east in Mississippi claimed at least 26 lives as of early Saturday evening.
“Jill and I are praying for those who have lost loved ones in the devastating tornadoes in Mississippi and for those whose loved ones are missing,” said President Joe Biden in a Saturday statement.
Officials confirmed the estimated death of 24 count to CNN Saturday and by around 5 p.m. ET, that number had climbed to 26.
According to the National Weather Service, there are approximately 800 tornadoes in the U.S. annually, resulting in an average of 80 deaths each year. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicates that there were 936 in the 12-month period ending in February.
Just this week, crews with the National Weather Service confirmed that two EF-1 tornadoes touched down in Parker County. Those twisters knocked down power lines, trees and toppled over mobile homes.
This month a rare tornado was also reported in California, as well as those sweeping across the South. According to PowerOutage.us, tens of thousands of customers were out of power in several states Saturday.
“The images from across Mississippi are heartbreaking,” said Biden. “While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know that many of our fellow Americans are not only grieving for family and friends, they’ve lost their homes and businesses.”
Biden spoke with Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) about the storms, as well as other lawmakers from Mississippi, Saturday. He said that the federal government would offer support to communities as they recover from the damage.
Reeves declared a State of Emergency Saturday in counties pummeled by the storms overnight Friday and into Saturday morning.
In a tweet, Reeves confirmed that he spoke to the president.
“The flood of support from governors, businesses, charities, and federal admin has been tremendous—matches the community here on the ground,” he said.
“I also spoke to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who has already deployed emergency response personnel and resources to support search-and-rescue teams, assess the damage, and focus our federal support where it is needed most quickly,” said Biden.
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