NT

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2002

Answers

Tornado sweeps through Mississippi town At least 40 injured as several buildings hit

Thursday, December 19, 2002 Posted: 5:05 PM EST (2205 GMT)

NEWTON, Mississippi (CNN) -- A violent tornado spawned by severe thunderstorms tore through this town Thursday afternoon, hitting a Wal-Mart shopping center, a La-Z-Boy chair factory and several homes and businesses, authorities said.

At least 40 people were injured, two of them critically, said Amy Carruth, a spokeswoman with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. She said she could not confirm whether anyone was killed.

Portions of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia were under a tornado watch until Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

The same storm system swept through east Texas, north Louisiana and Arkansas late Wednesday, according to the weather service. The system spawned eight tornadoes and nearly 40 areas reported large hail and wind damage.

A tornado killed at least one person and injured 17 in Arkansas, according to the state's Department of Emergency Management.

Newton Mayor Hamp Beatty said many parts of the town of 3,700 people about 60 miles east of Jackson had sustained damage. Gas and electricity were out everywhere, he said. A local state of emergency has been declared.

"It's pretty much a mess," Beatty said.

Denise Smith, 28, was working in the back of the Wal-Mart when the "lights flashed about four or five times" and then went out completely. The store was packed with holiday shoppers when the tornado hit shortly after 1 p.m. (2 p.m. ET).

"We didn't have any kind of warning," Smith told CNN.

The tornado first blew out the front windows and then the roof began giving way.

"I could see the roof and I could see it coming towards the back and all of the roof started caving in," Smith said.

She then "hit the floor." The store was completely dark, she said, and people yelled for help.

Terry McKinon, who works at the nearby BP E-Z Stop convenience store, said he heard the tornado "rumbling and rumbling" before it swooped down.

"Several small buildings were all turned upside down," he said.

McKinon said other businesses, including a Sonic drive-in, were "flattened," and he saw a truck overturned on the nearby interstate.

The Wal-Mart is north of Newton and the La-Z-Boy factory is in the downtown area of the city. Carruth said the chair factory is one of the largest factories in the state.

"When the main place to work is La-Z-Boy and the main place to shop is Wal-Mart, when that area is impacted, it impacts the whole community," Carruth said.

The mayor said crews were assessing the damage and the first priority was to get utilities turned back on.

"We're just doing the best we can," Beatty said.

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2002

what a horrible thing to have happen at any time, but somehow it seems worse at this time of year.

May the survivors realize what the greatest gift is. Life.

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2002

Because we on this forum usually check the weather frequently, we can (and often do) avoid the effects of bad weather. Although there are times when we absolutely HAVE to be out in bad weather, shopping at Wal-Mart isn't one of those times. Sure, a tornado can hit your home but you know where the safest place is (basement, bathtub, closet, etc.), but where do you go for safety in a Wal-Mart? (Smugness off.)

Shopping at Grannie's is another matter, however :-)

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2002