At least 25 people have died after devastating tornadoes hit the southern US state of Mississippi, with entire neighborhoods leveled to the ground as more dangerous weather is expected across the region today.

“This is a tragedy,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves tweeted, referring to the “catastrophic damage.”

“The scale of loss and damage is evident in all affected areas,” Reeves explained after a trip to Silver City, one of the cities hardest hit by the tornado.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MSEMA) put the death toll at 25, with dozens injured. “Found four missing persons,” the department added.

Search and rescue teams are working to find other victims.

“The priority at this stage is to ensure ‘the safety of the survivors and find people to make sure they are safe,'” MSEMA’s Mallory White said.

For his part, US President Joe Biden today announced federal assistance to affected areas to create temporary shelters, carry out reconstruction work and provide loans at reduced interest rates to cover uninsured assets.

About 4,800 Mississippi residents and nearly 11,000 households and businesses in neighboring Alabama were left without power, according to poweroutage.us.

In addition, the state of Mississippi is bracing for dangerous weather today, mostly high winds and hail, with authorities warning that “possible tornadoes.”

Neighboring Alabama also experienced severe storms, with one person killed when his mobile home overturned, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office said.

Tornadoes, an unpredictable weather phenomenon, are common in the US, especially in the central and southern states. In December 2021, about 80 people were killed in a tornado in Kentucky.

Source: APE-ME, AFP, REUTERS.