By Monica Land
JACKSON – Mississippi’s governor Phil Bryant has declared a state of emergency for several counties hit hard after severe storms and a tornado moved through the state this week.
Emergency management personnel confirmed that a tornado did touch down in Pearl River County on Tuesday, Dec. 25, that destroyed approximately 15 homes sending at least eight people to the hospital, the Associated Press reported.
None of the injuries were life-threatening.
Experts were on site Wednesday morning and were working to assess the strength of the twister, which was registered as an EF2.
Bryant said at least eight counties have reported damages with some injuries including: Forrest, Greene, Hinds, Jones, Lawrence, Pearl River Stone and Wilkinson.
The emergency declaration covers all counties affected.
Bryant said the emergency declaration will help speed along help for storm victims
A state of emergency is normally declared by a governmental body when a natural disaster or extreme civil unrest occurs. This declaration may suspend some functions of the government, or cause them to implement disaster readiness plans. It can also serve as an alert to private citizens to be prepared for unusual circumstances, such as power outages, food and water shortages, or evacuations.
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