Assessments, recover begins after Wednesday storms

(Note: If you have photos of damage, please submit them by email to 
news@thewaynecountynews.com.)

By Paul Keane

The Wayne County News

Crews and emergency personnel were on the scene of multiple incidents 
after a tornado rolled through the northern part of Wayne County 
Wednesday night. 

Multiple homes were heavily damaged or destroyed while water systems 
were compromised, power was knocked out and numerous roads were blocked 
by fallen trees after a storm believed to contain a tornado ravaged Beat 
Four and parts of Shubuta shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday. Officials 
with the National Weather Service are expected to come to the area to 
confirm if it was a tornado and to measure the strength of it.

While injuries were being reported, no deaths were known of at this 
time. Some people were trapped in their homes during the night and 
efforts were being made to get those people out.

According to reports, multiple were damaged or destroyed and a trailer 
was leveled in the Waller Ridge area.

Other reports of damage were dispatched to Beat Four Shubuta Road, 
George Jones Road, Boyles Road, Matherville Frost Bridge Road, Bunk 
Butler Road, Dale Waller Road, Waynesboro Shubuta Road, Curtis Williams 
Road, Leonard Street in Shubuta, Highway 84 and Strengthford Cooley 
Road, Van Hoover Road and multiple other locations.

Hiwannee Water Association issued a boil water notice on its system east 
of the Chickasawhay River after trees that were falling broke into water 
lines with their root system. As the roots came out of the ground, it 
broke into water lines, causing the boil water notice to be issued.

The Mississippi Rural Water Association was reportedly sending at least 
three crews to assist local water systems with making repairs and 
restoring service to customers.

Crews from Mississippi Power and Dixie Electric Association were out 
restoring power to multiple customers. That work is continuing 
throughout the day Thursday.

County Supervisors and their crews were also out clearing roads and 
cutting trees off power lines Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. 
That work, too, will continue on Thursday and longer if needed.

Emergency Management officials hit the road running on Thursday to begin 
assessing damage in order to submit information to the Mississippi 
Emergency Management Agency for possible assistance with recovering from 
the damage.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.