Storms leave 32 dead; Barbour declares emergency

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Gov. Haley Barbour has declared a state of emergency for 39 Mississippi counties and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians after severe storms moved across the state. That may have to be expanded, however.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has received initial reports of damages from 48 counties across the state and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Damage assessments are still ongoing.

There are 32 confirmed fatalities in Mississippi. In total, the storms’ death toll stands at 178, most of those in Alabama (128 dead).

The state of emergency includes the counties of Adams, Alcorn, Attala, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Coahoma, Covington, Grenada, Hinds, Holmes, Issaquena, Kemper, Lafayette, Lauderdale, Leake, Leflore, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Neshoba, Newton, Panola, Pike, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Rankin, Scott, Smith, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica, Union, Yalobusha, Webster and Yazoo have reported damage from the storms.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones or property in these devastating spring storms,” Barbour said.

Source: MEMA and Gov. Haley Barbour