At least seven tornadoes touched down in Mississippi this week.
The National Weather Service confirmed that the tornadoes trekked south Mississippi on Wednesday and Thursday, with the strongest being two EF3’s that struck Franklin and Lamar counties, but their surveys are continuing.
Gov. Tate Reeves confirmed on Thursday that 17 people had been injured in the extreme weather, while hundreds of homes were damaged. As things stand, Currently, there just over 4,300 power outages statewide, down from a high of approximately 20,100.
RELATED: Replacement benefits available for Mississippi SNAP recipients impacted by storms
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reports that the following shelters are open for residents displaced by the storms:
Lamar County Safe Room
99 Central Industrial Row, Purvis, MS 39475
Lincoln County Safe Room
1154 Belt Line Drive, Brookhaven, MS 39601
Donation centers have also been established to support survivors:
Bogue Chitto Fire Department
351 Bogue Chitto Road SE Bogue Chitto, MS 39629
East Lincoln Fire Department
3347 East Lincoln Road SE, Brookhaven, MS 39601
MEMA officials are also coordinating response and recovery efforts with local, state and volunteer partners and has delivered tarps to Lawrence, Lamar and Lincoln counties. Volunteer organizations, including the Cajun Navy and the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, are also on hand, working to help survivors.
“Residents are strongly encouraged not to sightsee in affected areas. Downed power lines, unstable trees, floodwaters, and emergency equipment create dangerous conditions,” a statement from MEMA reads. “Unnecessary traffic slows emergency operations and puts both the public and responders at risk.”
For further assistance, those who sustained storm damage are encouraged to file insurance claims as soon as possible, take photographs of all property damage, and report damages here.