Tornado Leaves Dozens Dead, Injured in Rural Mississippi

At least 26 people are dead and dozens more injured after a tornado touched down in Mississippi Friday night.

Details: The tornado touched down around 9 p.m. local time, pushing north-east across Mississippi into Alabama. The casualty toll is expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. The town of Rolling Fork, roughly 60 miles north of Jackson, was hit especially hard, with at least 13 reported deaths, widespread infrastructure damage resulting in gas leaks, and reports of residents trapped under the debris of collapsed homes and buildings.

Key Quotes: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves tweeted Saturday morning that "The loss will be felt in these towns forever. Please pray for God’s hand to be over all who lost family and friends.” Eldridge Walker, mayor of Rolling Fork, told CNN, “My city is gone, but we are resilient. We are going to come back strong.” The Associated Press quoted Walker Ashley, a meteorology professor at the University of Northern Illinois, explaining the damage, stating, “You mix a particularly socioeconomically vulnerable landscape with a fast-moving, long-track nocturnal tornado, and disaster will happen.”

How The Media Covered It: The tornado was the leading story in a handful of outlets across the spectrum Saturday morning. Updated 3/27/23 at 9:31 a.m. ET