5 killed, hundreds of thousands lose power as tornadoes, storms hit Southern states
At least five people were killed as hundreds of thousands were without power after storms ripped through a handful of states in the South in the last week.
Perryton, a small town in the Texas Panhandle, was particularly hard-hit by a tornado that left three dead, injured dozens and damaged at least 150 homes last Thursday.
Meanwhile, storms left over 430,000 people without power in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas as of Sunday, according to PowerOutage.us.
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The local fire department in Perryton estimated that the twister, which struck shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday, had been on the ground for at least a mile and was a quarter-mile wide.
The aftermath revealed scenes of devastation, including mobile homes torn apart, pickup trucks with shattered windshields slammed against mounds of rubble and heavy damage to two blocks of downtown businesses.
The casualties included 11-year-old Matthew Ramirez and two women, Cindy Bransgrove and Becky Randall, the Ochiltree County Sheriff's Office announced. The sheriff's office reported at least 70 injuries, according to News 9.
Victor Munoz, who filmed the tornado just before it struck his home, described the debris as being "like hail, it was just hitting and banging and ... everything breaking" in an interview with CBS News. He and his two brothers survived by taking shelter in their bathroom. "I was worried about my mom," Munoz was quoted as saying. "And once I saw her alive, I gave her a big-ass hug. I was tearing up, I'm just glad she was alive."
By Friday, residents of Perryton were already trying to salvage what they could from the wreckage. Amid splintered plywood and mangled mobile homes, people sought any belongings they could recover.
The Perryton Fire Department took a direct hit yet could exclaim that its trucks and ambulances remained operable. First responders from surrounding areas and neighboring Oklahoma descended on the town to assist in the recovery.
The North Carolina-based Evangelical humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse has launched disaster response specialists and a tractor-trailer stocked with tools and relief equipment to Perryton.
Severe storms also battered the Pensacola, Florida, area. One death was reported due to a tree falling on a home Thursday night.
Escambia County Fire Rescue responded around 8:30 p.m. as the person trapped under the tree died, according to WKRG.
In Mississippi, Canton Police Chief Otha Brown told WLBT-TV that a resident was killed by a tree falling onto his carport as he tried to get in his car early Friday.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported that at least 69 homes were damaged across nine counties.
The aftermath of the devastation is still being assessed in Perryton and across the southern states.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he had directed the state Division of Emergency Management to provide all necessary support in Perryton and elsewhere.
"What Texans in Perryton have gone through over the past couple of days have been nothing short of horrific. At the same time, it's encouraging and inspiring to see the way the community has come together to rebuild," Abbott said as he held a briefing with state and local officials on Saturday.
"But the one thing that cannot be rebuilt is a life. Unfortunately, this devastating storm took three lives. Our prayers remain with the families of those who did lose a loved one. I ask all Texans to join us in praying for healing and hope for the people devastated by this tragic tornado. I want to thank state and local officials, as well as neighboring states, that have come together to respond to this horrific storm."
