JACKSON, Miss. – Governor Tate Reeves released the following statement providing an update on the ongoing recovery efforts following the devastating tornado that hit the state on Friday, March 24, 2023:

"The severe storms and tornado devastated our state this weekend. I wanted to provide a more extensive update for everybody here on what we know about the damage and continued response efforts.

"The storms had a terrible impact on the lives and livelihoods of Mississippians. There were 3 fatalities and 5 injuries in Carroll County, 2 fatalities and 50 injuries in Monroe County, 3 fatalities and 15 injuries in Humphreys County, 13 fatalities in Sharkey County, and 2 other fatalities.

"Impacted residents in Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, and Sharkey Counties can now register for FEMA Individual Assistance by going online to disasterassistance.gov or calling 800-621-FEMA (3362).

"There are 24,387 power outages remaining across 16 counties as of 6 a.m. this morning. Teams continue to work to address these outages as quickly as possible.

"There were three shelters established for residents. One in Rolling Fork, one in Silver City, and one in Amory. I want to thank the Red Cross who has worked hard to coordinate shelter needs with these communities and to continue providing food for folks in need.

"The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency continues to lead the response effort and has points of contact on the ground leading the recovery coordination operations. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has coordinated multiple resources to help those impacted, including 64,000 bottles of water, 1,848 tarps, 576 meals, potable water tankers, portable restrooms, hand washing stations, batteries, bank chargers, and fuel for critical infrastructure generators.

"The Mississippi State Department of Health has sent 16 nurses and staff to travel to the affected areas and support the health needs of the communities. Sharkey Issaquena Critical Access Hospital has been closed and evacuated. Heavy roof damage was sustained over the Emergency Department. Roof repairs are underway and power crews are working to restore electricity to the facility.

"The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has deployed 40 troopers to provide law enforcement support.

"The Mississippi Department of Transportation is providing equipment and workers to clear blocked routes in the affected counties.

"The Department of Mental Health has deployed the Region 6 Mobile Crisis Response Team to respond to the community, bring supplies, and help respond to mental health needs.

"The Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks has provided 17 officers in Amory for security details at designated checkpoints and is providing seven officers and one supervisor for a security detail in Sharkey County.

"The Mississippi Department of Employment Security will be active at WIN Job locations from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to assist residents with filing claims and other appropriate information.

"The Mississippi Department of Education is in contact with the six school districts affected by the tornado and assessing their needs at this time.

"I want to once again thank our federal partners at the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency who joined us on the ground yesterday to see the damage firsthand and who are working to help ensure federal support in this response.

"Finally, I also want to thank all of the other individuals and organizations who continue to give their time, resources, and prayers to support this recovery process. Together we will rebuild."