Greg Flynn

Disaster responders are assessing the damage after a number of tornadoes cut a swath through Mississippi and Alabama Sunday evening. Despite dozens of reported injuries, no fatalities have been reported.

“We’re really blessed because we don’t have a fatality that we know of

right now, and one major injuries. But we have a number of major

damages to our structures around town,” said Johnny DuPree, mayor of Hattisburg, where one of the tornadoes hit.

In Southwestern Alabama, seven tornadoes touched down including one that damaged 46 houses in Clark County, Weather service meteorologist Keith Williams said. Initial reports indicate two people killed.

“It’s definitely in the dozens,” Mississippi emergency Management

spokesman Greg Flynn said of the total number of residents injured by

the twisters. Rent, the state emergency management spokesman, said

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant had declared a state of emergency in

four Mississippi counties - Forrest, Lamar, Marion and Lawrence - and

other areas hit by the storms.

“The bad thing is, it keeps raining,” said Flynn. “It’s supposed to

rain all day today and then all day tomorrow.

“We’ve already had flash-flooding issues and the creeks and the streams are all overtopped. It’s just going to make things a lot more difficult in the recovery process.

The Hattiesburg area also suffered heavy property damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

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