PEARL, Miss. (MEMA) – The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), along with state and local officials, hundreds of volunteers, faith-based organizations, and private sector partners, is actively responding to the severe weather that struck the state on March 14 and 15, 2025, resulting in the loss of seven lives and injuries to dozens more.

MEMA teams are in the process of validating damage reports as counties conduct ongoing assessments. To date, the agency has recorded damage to 941 homes, 38 businesses, and 25 farms across the state. Of the homes affected, 164 were destroyed, while 204 sustained major damage. These figures are subject to change as further evaluations are conducted. MEMA has filled requests for 1,000 sandbags, 1,300 tarps, and more than 24,000 bottles of water for counties.

The National Weather Service has confirmed that 18 tornadoes touched down on March 14 and 15 in Mississippi, including one EF-4, one EF-3, seven EF-2, seven EF-1, and two EF-0 tornadoes.

Survivors in need of food and emergency supplies can visit any distribution center. Currently, distribution centers are located in Grenada, Smith, and Walthall Counties. MEMA will maintain an updated list of distribution centers on its website here.

U-Haul is offering 30 days of free storage to survivors of the March 14th and 15th storms. Participating Store Locations include Biloxi, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Meridian, Pascagoula, Pearl, and Tupelo. For more information, survivors can call (601) 352-2602.

If citizens have immediate unmet needs due to the storms, they are encouraged to contact their county emergency management agency. A list of those county contacts can be found here.

MEMA welcomes all volunteers who want to help; however, we encourage individuals to avoid self-deploying. Instead, please join a verified organization or nonprofit that assists during disasters before heading to the affected area. Currently, three donation drop-off locations are open:

• Grenada – 566 Nat G Troutt Road, Grenada, MS
• Smith – 107 Jane Street, Taylorsville, MS
• Walthall – 85 Cemetery Road, Tylertown, MS

Find the latest information on donation center locations, donation contacts, and current needs by visiting the MEMA website here.

The following counties have submitted official damage reports to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Damages reported range from affected to destroyed. These numbers can change through the assessment process.

• Calhoun – 3 homes, 2 roads, 1 bridge
• Carroll – 4 homes, 1 business, 1 farm, 10 roads
• Chickasaw – 20 roads
• Covington – 90 homes, 5 farms, 2 roads, 1 building, 1 death
• Forrest
• George
• Grenada – 52 homes, 8 businesses, 1 road, 2 public buildings
• Holmes
• Humphreys – 1 home, 2 farms
• Issaquena
• Itawamba – 31 homes, 3 businesses, 7 public buildings
• Jasper – 17 homes, 1 business, 1 road
• Jefferson Davis – 82 homes, 4 farms, 2 deaths
• Lee – 4 homes, 2 roads
• Leflore – 314 homes, 6 businesses, 1 farm, 1 public building
• Marion – 45 homes, 5 businesses, 5 farms
• Montgomery – 8 homes, 5 businesses
• Newton – 4 homes  
• Pike – 25 homes
• Prentiss – 44 roads
• Sharkey – 2 homes, 1 farm
• Smith – 73 homes, 8 businesses
• Sunflower – 1 home, 1 business
• Tishomingo – 9 roads
• Walthall – 182 homes, 6 farms, 4 deaths

MageeNews.com is the online news source for Simpson and surrounding counties as well as the State of Mississippi