At Least 23 Dead, Dozens of Others Injured After Tornadoes Hit Mississippi: 'Loss Will Be Felt'

The death toll, which is expected to change, was confirmed by Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency

At least 23 people were killed and dozens of others were injured Friday after tornadoes swept through Mississippi, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).

MEMA shared early Saturday morning that in addition to those killed and injured in the storms, four other people remained missing as of 6:20 a.m. local time.

"We have numerous local and state search and rescue teams that continue to work this morning," the organization said in a statement on Twitter. "A number of assets are on the ground to assist those that have been impacted."

Related:Tornado Tears Through Part of Los Angeles in Rare Event, at Least One Person Injured

MEMA then said that its numbers are "expected to change." It added that its command staff was meeting Saturday morning to find more information and decide on a "plan of action," with "information regarding sheltering and feeding operations coming soon."

At 8:05 p.m. local time on Friday, the National Weather Service in Jackson confirmed a tornado was on the ground and approaching the town of Rolling Fork. As tweets began to pour in about people being trapped in their homes, and images began to surface of the damage done to the communities impacted, the NWS said a tornado emergency remained in effect until 9 p.m., as it advised residents to "take cover now."

Less than an hour later, the NWS confirmed that the tornado touched down and caused damage in the towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork, and was projected to move into the northwest side of Tchula at the time.

With a water tower knocked down, and a crisis shelter opened in Rolling Fork, the impact of the storm appeared to be extensive.

Rolling Fork resident Brandy Showah told CNN that the town is no longer the same after the storm. "I've never seen anything like this," Showah said. "This was a very great small town, and now it's gone."

"As we begin the process of surveying the tornado damage from yesterday evening, we want to thank all the media, spotters, first responders, emergency management officials, and members of the public who provided real-time storm reports and pictures," the NWS wrote on Twitter.

"During severe weather events, your reports help the message get out to those who are yet to be impacted by the weather. We do still welcome any reports you send our way today as the sun comes up, and you get a better idea of what damage has occurred," the organization added.

Related:Tornadoes in 3 States Leave 1 Dead and Nearly a Dozen Injured: 'Praying for Oklahomans Impacted'

Sharkey County coroner Angelia Easton told ABC News that 13 people died in her county, but she could not confirm their ages. In other areas, Carroll County coroner Mark Stiles confirmed three deaths and Monroe County coroner Alan Gurley confirmed two, while Jose Watson of the state's highway patrol confirmed one person died in Humphreys County, according to ABC News. Gurley told NBC News that a man and his daughter were the two killed.

In a video shared on Facebook, Watson advised people to "not come to" Silver City if they didn't have any immediate family there. In his clip, Watson showed a large amount of damage in the city.

"Please do not come to Silver City," he said. "Because at this time, because of the number of people that are in place that are here, it's making it difficult for first responders to get into this debris. We can't even get emergency equipment in there, we can't get the tractors and the bull dozers in there ... if y'all would do that for us, we'd appreciate it."

United Cajun Navy President Todd Terrell told ABC News that Rolling Fork was "pretty much devastated," adding that "there's a lot of people still trapped in their homes."

"It seems as though the big ones hit at night, and you don't have a warning for him," he said. "We knew that it was going to be bad in that areas, but nobody can prepare to prepare for this total devastation."

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"At least twenty three Mississippians were killed by last night's violent tornados," Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Saturday. "We know that many more are injured. Search and rescue teams are still active. The loss will be felt in these towns forever. Please pray for God's hand to be over all who lost family and friends."

Per the Storm Prediction Center and CNN, at least 11 tornados were reported in Mississippi and Alabama on Friday — including the ones that touched down in Rolling Fork, Silver City and Winona.

The Morgan County Sheriff's Office in Alabama tweeted overnight that in one section of the state, storm debris stretched a mile.

Authorities also shared updates on rescue efforts, uploading photos of a man being pulled from mud after a trailer overturned. "In the hardest hit areas, Deputies and other responders are going door to door to check on residents," the sheriff's office wrote.

As for power outages, over 68,000 establishments across Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee remained without power as of 10 a.m. EST, per PowerOutage.us.

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