Possible tornado damages homes, school in Purvis

Several homes and a portable classroom at Purvis Upper Elementary School sustained damage Thursday morning as a storm system blew through the area.

Doris Neel barely had time to get her and her child in the hall closet before what was likely a tornado hit, causing a tree to fall on the family home. Neel, 29, said her mother called to tell her a possible tornado was spotted in the area.

"I was in bed asleep," she said. "We got in the hall closet just in time."

James McNair, who lives on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, said he never heard the tree that fell on his neighbor's home.

"Somebody called me and told me a tornado was in our area here," he said. "When I came out, I had seen where it had fell."

At the school, a tree fell in front of the building and part of a roof was taken off a portable classroom. Some awnings also were damaged.

"I am very thankful that no one was hurt," Lamar County School District Superintendent Tess Smith said. "We are very blessed."

Lamar County Emergency Management Agency Director James Smith said he could not confirm a tornado touched down, but from what he had seen "it is consistent with tornado damage."

James Smith was at the upper elementary surveying damage before heading off to see other areas where damage was reported.

Tess Smith ordered schools in her district to close two hours early Thursday in anticipation of a second storm front coming through in the afternoon.

National Weather Service officials will be in Lamar County on Friday morning to survey storm damage and determine whether a tornado touched down in Purvis.

Kyle Hopkins, spokesman for Forrest County Emergency Management, said there were reports of numerous roads flooded in Hattiesburg and Petal, but no damage from the storm system.

Gordon's Creek was swollen from flash flooding early Thursday, and caused street flooding in a few Hattiesburg neighborhoods. Trees fell across the southbound lanes of Interstate 59 at Richburg Road, forcing motorists to find an alternate route while the area was cleared.

Another line of storms was expected to pass through the Pine Belt late Thursday afternoon, but the system steered north of the area, weather officials said.

The storms were part of the system that slammed the South on Thursday.

Elsewhere in Mississippi, heavy rain in the Delta caused widespread flooding and prompted some evacuations.

Forecaster Latrice Maxie said 3 to 5 inches of rain fell late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning causing some evacuations and closing several highways. Maxie said the heaviest rain was along the U.S. 82 corridor between Washington and Montgomery counties.

Sunflower County Emergency Manager Ben Grant said about two dozen homes in Moorhead were evacuated.

Mayor George Holland said he went into one flooded house and was standing in 10 inches of water.

Holland said most of those evacuated have returned to their homes to begin repairs or moved in with relatives.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pine Belt counties eligible for assistance

FEMA has declared several counties in the Pine Belt eligible for federal disaster assistance, including Forrest, Jones, Marion and Perry, Gov. Phil Bryant said Thursday. Forrest County Board of Supervisors President David Hogan, Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree and Petal Mayor Hal Marx held a press conference Thursday afternoon to announce the news and answer questions.

The three encouraged anyone affected by the storms or floods earlier in March to apply for assistance, which includes temporary housing assistance; uninsured or underinsured personal property losses; medical, dental or funeral expenses caused by the disaster; and other disaster-related expenses or serious needs. 

Low-interest disaster loans that can be used to cover residential and business losses not covered by insurance also will be available from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

A disaster recovery center will be set up in Hattiesburg to help affected people in the four counties, but anyone seeking help must first register at www.disasterassistance.gov or (800) 621-3362. Those who are hearing- or speech-impaired can call (800) 462-7585. Those who use 711 or video relay services can call (800) 621-3362.

For information about state recovery efforts, visit www.msema.org.