Tornado touches down in George County, weather service says

A tornado touched down in George County before 10 a.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Mobile said.

There were reports of downed trees and power lines.

The weather service also tweeted there was “CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE” in the county, and the storm was moving across the state line toward Wilmer, Alabama.

George County Sheriff Keith Havard said the tornado touched down around East Wilkerson Ferry Road and spread through the Agricola community and other parts of the county.

“We’ve got trees down, downed power lines and minor structural damage,” Havard said Tuesday morning, though he said first responders are still evaluating the extent of damages.

“We have a barn that was totally destroyed,” he said. “It doesn’t appear the tornado was on the ground the whole time. We have not received any reports of injuries so far.”

Mississippi Emergency management reported that two people sustained minor injuries during the storm after their vehicle flipped. The agency is conducting damage assessments will share more when complete.

Gov. Tate Reeves also mentioned “tornadic activity” in the area during a previously scheduled press conference on COVID-19 on Tuesday morning.

The governor noted that March is the worst month for severe weather in Mississippi.

This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 11:00 AM.