Wayne County officials are assessing damage from Friday’s tornado

WAYNE COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) – In just minutes, Friday’s severe weather passed through Wayne County homes and yards.

“When the tornado warning came in at 3:01 p.m., it was pretty short,” said Angela Atichson, director of the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency.

Atichson said calls reporting damage started coming in at 3:30 p.m. First responders immediately swung into action.

“We actually had a Wayne County deputy in the area playing pranks on us as the tornado and funnel cloud (came) over Highway 84,” Atichson said. “As soon as that cloud cleared (US) 84, myself, the sheriff, the first responders, we went right out and started assessing the damage.”

The group did not rest until the suspected tornado left town.

“After the storm crossed (Highway) 45, we followed it into Alabama around the Madisonville and Melvin areas,” Wayne County Sheriff Jerry Mosley said. “And then he was picked up from Wayne County. We are only here to serve the people and protect them.”

Braving the weather Saturday, Wayne County emergency management personnel spent Friday night and Saturday morning identifying several areas that will need some time to recover from the suspected tornado that visited earlier Friday.

“Highway 84 at Van Hoover Road,” Atichson said. “We have an actual house there, a single-family house, that is destroyed. On Maxcey Drive, we have a mobile home as well as a caravan. On Oscar Bell (Road) we also have a single family home that was destroyed.

“On Woodrow Sellers Road, we’ve got some farms and farm places down there, farms and stuff, that are also completely destroyed.”

Wayne County Emergency Management said no injuries or deaths outside of the animals were reported.

To report any severe weather damage, call (601)-735-2192.

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