Gov. Reeves on storm recovery: Working with Red Cross to ensure families are safe
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves discusses the recovery efforts after the deadly tornadoes on Easter Sunday and the state’s battle with coronavirus.
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One of the dozens of tornadoes that ripped across the South on Easter Sunday was so powerful, its mark on Mississippi was picked up by satellites.
More than 30 people were killed in a two-day period as severe storms tore across the South, leaving more than 1 million homes without power. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday the storms left "incredible damage" in his state, where 12 people were killed in the storms.
“We're used to seeing tornadoes and tornadic activity in April in Mississippi, What we're not used to is what we saw on Sunday, which was two different tornadoes basically taking the exact same path approximately one hour apart,” Reeves said.
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The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Jackson, Miss., said one of those tornadoes that went roughly southwest of the town of Bassfield has a preliminary rating of an EF-4 tornado with peak winds of 170 mph.
The agency released a satellite image that showed the "big long-track tornado scars," which included the mark from the powerful tornado that killed four people.
Tornado scars can be see in Mississippi on satellite after severe storms on Easter Sunday, including a violent tornado that traveled over 60 miles. (NWS Jackson)
The weather service said it traveled at least 67.7 miles from Jefferson Davis to Clarke County and had a width of at least two miles.
A second tornado nearby started in Lawrence County and traveled for 82.5 miles, reaching the strength of an EF-3 tornado with a maximum width of one mile.
According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, the most common way to determine the strength of a tornado is estimating wind speeds by assessing the damage caused. The Enhanced Fujita Scale or EF Scale, used since 2007, is the National Weather Service's method to rate tornadoes.
The ratings of tornadoes on the Enhanced-Fujita Scale. (Fox News)
The EF scale uses indicators, including damage to different types of structures such as barns, mobile homes, trees and schools, according to the NWS forecast office in Norman, Okla.
The Storm Prediction Center said tornadoes estimated to be an EF-4 are considered to be "violent," with winds between 166 and 200 mph. Twisters in this second-strongest category create "devastating" damage.
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Reeves told "Fox & Friends" that a tornado staying on the ground that long in his state was "unheard of."
Julie Davis gestures as she speaks about her stepmother's house, now leveled from Sunday's tornado, Tuesday, April 14, 2020, in the Williamsburg community in rural Jefferson Davis County, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Those who lost their homes in the storms are facing additional hardship as no Red Cross shelters are open due to the coronavirus pandemic.
About 550 people in four states were staying in hotel rooms funded by the Red Cross since mass shelters were not an option, according to Brad Kieserman, a vice president of the organization.
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People are having catered meals delivered to the hotels instead of through a large kitchen, he said.
Workers are wearing masks, gloves, and other gear when working with people affected by the storms.
Debris is scattered from damaged homes Tuesday, April 14, 2020, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Tornadoes went through the area Sunday, April 12. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Other agencies are making similar provisions, he told the Associated Press.
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In Mississippi, Reeves said Wednesday the state is working in partnership with the Red Cross to provide hotel rooms for those impacted by the storms. He added the severe weather outbreak happening at the same time as the state deals with COVID-19 has made things "exceptionally complicated."
Fallen trees and damaged homes line a street April 14, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Tornadoes went through the area Sunday. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
"One of the things that I've said repeatedly is the coronavirus is complicating the recovery from the tornado while at the same time the tornadoes are complicating our efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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