Hernando was hit with bad thunderstorms and an EF1 tornado late Sunday night, leaving many without power and many houses damaged due to fallen trees.
The DeSoto County Board of Supervisors issued a Declaration of Emergency early Monday morning. Mayor Chip Johnson told WREG, “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“ He later states in a facebook post that over 7,00 people have lost power.
Mayor Johnson encourages residents to be patient, as complete 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.”
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.
“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.
As cleanup continues, many neighborhoods across the Mid-South are bracing for another round of severe weather.
Sources: https://wreg.com/news/mid-south/severe-thunderstorms-cause-extensive-damage-overnight/amp/
https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/state-of-emergency-declared-in-desoto-county-after-storms/article_80f14561-0123-459f-a8f1-07ebf1dd417a.html