Massive Tornado Rips Through Mississippi

What's This?

By Brian Ries2014-04-28 20:22:52 UTC

This is a developing story. We will continue to update as more information becomes available.

A tornado tore through the northeast Mississippi city of Tupelo on Monday just before 3 p.m.

Meteorologists reported seeing a "debris ball' signature on Doppler radar, a telltale sign of a damaging tornado. Local news station WTVA was last seen broadcasting an image of the massive wedge when staffers there seemed to evacuate the studio. The feed then cut out.

Storm chasers in Tupelo then captured photography of the twister, described as a "massive wedge" bearing down on the city of 100,000.

Trained spotter Steven Heicher, one of the first on the scene, reports seeing "major damage" in North Tupelo, and warns people to "avoid the Tupelo area at all costs due to major damage."

Topics: Climate, tornadoes, U.S., US & World