Tornado strikes south Mississippi, leaving four dead

HATTIESBURG, Miss.

Troy Cobb, Hattiesburg resident, is helping aid in the recovery efforts after a tornado with winds above 100 mph tore a path across the Hattiesburg area.

At least four people were killed in southern Mississippi early Saturday, January 14, after a powerful tornado ripped through the area around 4 a.m. causing major damage.

The Forrest County coroner identified the dead as Ernest Perkins, 58; Cleveland Madison, 20; David Wayne McCoy, 47 and Simona Cox, 72.

But for Cobb, the loss was especially close to home.

He smiled while remembering Ernest Perkins, a resident that lived within his mobile home community he manages,

"Everybody loved him, He was a blind man. But you'd never know it, " Cobb said while standing in front of the remains of the Perkins' home.

The city of Hattiesburg on Twitter and Forrest County emergency management confirmed the deaths.

According to reports from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, (click for severe storm information) a total of more than 1,400 homes were damaged in eight counties, 715 of those homes were destroyed or sustained major damage.

This was after what the National Weather Service in Jackson says an EF-3 tornado ripped through portions of Lamar and Forrest counties

Some Hattiesburg residents and businesses are still without power. However, Governor Phil Bryant has declared a State of Emergency and signed an executive order to authorize use of the National Guard to aid in recovery efforts.

Hundreds of miles away people are traveling to lend the Pine Belt a helping hand, including those like Missouri resident, Stacy Lamb.

Lamb, a U.S. Response Director for Convoy of Hope, along with his crew, traveled from Missouri after receiving word about the devastation.

"I've always wanted to be able to respond and give back to the community and this is a perfect way to fit my skill set and to be able to give back to the community as to work with an organization like this and to be able to respond in times of disaster," Lamb said.

If you've been affected by the storm you can contact Forrest County Emergency Management: 601.544.5911 or Action Center: 601.545.4500.