Tragedy in Rolling Fork, Mississippi

March 24, 2023, tornado path (from AccuWeather via Yahoo)

On Friday, March 24, 2023 around 8:00 pm, a tornado rated at EF-4 tore through west central Mississippi. It touched down just southwest of the small town of Rolling Fork before moving northeast toward Midnight and Silver City and then continuing toward Tchula, Black Hawk and Winona. 

Tornado path within Rolling Fork (from 25ABC)

In Rolling Fork, the terrific winds flattened many blocks of the little town, flipped cars, knocked down the water tower, and shredding trees. The storm killed 26 people that night in Mississippi, with 16 in Rolling Fork. It is a town of fewer than 2,000 residents. Muddy Waters claimed it as his hometown.   

The town was a real mess. We could not drive on the side streets away from US 61, but that was enough to show the damage.

The truck's horn abruptly started beeping when we were next to it. Some power company employees climbed up to it and thumped the body. The horn stopped.

Power company crews repairing electric lines

Scott Petroleum at 19840 US-61 (Samsung phone photo)

Highway 61 had already been bulldozed clear by March 28. 

Have a seat, Hwy 61

The State Police were routing through traffic on Hwy 1 around Rolling Fork. But US 61 was open for repair trucks, supplies, and ambulances.

Snapped tree, Race Street

Note how the tree has been shattered but the nearby house was intact. Astonishing.

Deer Creek

Deer Creek starts in Bolivar Lake and winds its way south through the Mississippi Delta. I have taken pictures in Onward, Leland, and other small towns through which Deer Creek flows.

The water truck (Samsung phone photo)

Water donations at Sharkey-Issaquena Academy

The tornado tore through the Delta while my wife and I were in Houston. We drove home via Shreveport, Louisiana. We bought water in Shreveport to donate because we thought most bottled water supplies anywhere near the disaster zone would be gone. But as of Tuesday afternoon, March 28, there was plenty of water on pallets. Still, the volunteers were glad to have our packages. 

The tornado knocked down Rolling Fork's water tower. I do not know the status of a repair. 

For more photographs of tornado damage, Reuters posted an excellent collection taken from drones and by news reporters on the scene.

I hope the residents can rebuild and put their lives back together. 

The little town of Silver City was also devastated. I have not been there for post-storm pictures. But I have photographed there in 2020 and 2022 (click the links). 

I took these photographs on Kodak Portra 160 film with a Pentax Spotmatic camera and the 35mm ƒ/3.5 Super-Takumar lens. Dwayne's Photo developed the film and I scanned it with my Plustek 7600i film scanner.