At least 26 people have died in Mississippi and Alabama after a tornado tore through the southern US states.
According to the BBC, search and rescue efforts are continuing, and the Mississippi state government has declared a state of emergency.
The tornado hit in the middle of the night – people had been sleeping and had not heard the alerts. For many, the first indication that something terrible was happening was the noise.
Mississippi state governor Tate Reeves visited Silver City and Winona on Saturday to meet affected residents who had been hit by the tornado’s fury.
Sharing an update on Twitter, Mr Reeves described the situation as a “tragedy”, writing: “We are blessed with brave, capable responders and loving neighbors. Please continue to pray.”
The search and rescue efforts will continue in Mississippi as more storms are predicted to hit parts of Alabama and Georgia early on Sunday and potentially bring large hail.
US President Joe Biden also offered his support for the affected region. He described the images coming out of Mississippi as “heartbreaking”, and said the federal government would “do everything we can to help”.
