HERNANDO, Miss. — Parts of the Mid-South saw significant storm damage following thunderstorms Sunday night into early Monday morning, primarily in Hernando, Mississippi.
Downed trees, snapped power lines, and multiple areas with debris are causing difficult traveling conditions. The DeSoto County Board of Supervisors issued a Declaration of Emergency early Monday morning.
“The storm took us unaware. It just seemed to come out of nowhere. There wasn’t time to hit the sirens or anything. I think we were all startled by our telephone was telling us something was going on,” said Hernando Mayor Chip Johnson.
Johnson took to Facebook to address the damage seen so far. In the post, he says approximately 7,700 people lost power due to the weather.
Joyce Sowell says she and her husband have been without power since about 10:30 Sunday night.
“And it felt like the walls were clapping, and then it felt like it was hailing, but it wasn’t. And then I heard a kaboom,” she said.
Sowell woke up this morning to find a huge tree had fallen into her neighbor’s home. She said she’s thankful the family of six was not harmed.
WREG crews saw large trees that fell onto multiple houses and cars, causing severe damage to the structures, but at this time, there have been no reports of injuries.
Mayor Johnson is encouraging residents to remain patient as power restoration could take a few days.
“There are many, many snapped poles. Entergy was out here late in the night, and I’m sure they’re somewhere in town right now. But it’s going to be a while,” said Mayor Johnson. “They’re probably going to be some people who don’t get their power back for a few days. This is not just a couple of downed wires. This is multiple poles snapped.”
DeSoto County Schools will be closed on Monday under advisement from the DeSoto County Emergency Management Agency. Mayor Johnson says many streets are blocked with fallen trees, so if possible, stay home if you can.
“Check on your neighbors. Especially if you know someone that’s on oxygen. They may not have power to run their oxygen machine. So we, our EMS team was running all night. Our public works department came right out, and they were running all night,” Johnson said.
Emergency personnel and city crews are working to figure out just how much damage occurred and to restore power for those in need. If you need a place to go, the storm shelter on Riley Street behind Hernando Elementary is open and has power.
Areas of Interstate 55 in Hernando were blocked due to debris in the roadway, leaving drivers stuck for hours as crews worked to clear the road. The Mississippi Department of Transportation map shows that I-55 has since reopened.
A WREG viewer captured photos of the trees littering the roadway, along with a trampoline just off the side of the road in the median near the southbound lanes.
Multiple traffic lights in the city are currently out due to the power outages in the area. The city of Hernando is asking that if anyone is out driving around, use caution.
WREG has crews in Hernando. We will keep you updated as additional information becomes available. If you have any photos of storm damage, share them with WREG here.