LEADER. 16 WAPT BEGINS WITH BREAKING NEWS. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. I’M SCOTT SIMMONS, AND WE’RE FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS. GOVERNOR TATE REEVES ABOUT TO START A NEWS CONFERENCE AT FEMA HEADQUARTERS TO PROVIDE THE LATEST UPDATES ON SEVERE STORM DAMAGE, FATALITIES AND PEOPLE WHO ARE INJURED. HE IS AT THE GOVERNOR’S PODIUM THERE AT FEMA HEADQUARTERS. WE’RE EXPECTING TO HEAR FROM GOVERNOR TATE REEVES, AS WELL AS THE FEMA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STEVE MCCRANIE. THE LATEST NUMBERS, OF COURSE, COMING IN YESTERDAY WITH 21 COUNTIES HIT. WE’RE EXPECTING MORE INFORMATION. THE GOVERNOR, I BELIEVE, HAS TAKEN THE PODIUM. >> PODIUM STATE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AT NOON ON FRIDAY. AND WHILE MOST OF THE VARIOUS WEATHER PROGNOSTICATORS INDICATED A TOUGH WEEKEND, UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE ACCURATE. OBVIOUSLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MAJOR STORMS THAT CAME THROUGH OVER APPROXIMATELY A 24 HOUR PERIOD FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, FRIDAY TILL ABOUT 9:00 YESTERDAY EVENING, WHEN THE FINAL STORMS EXITED OUR STATE. IT’S REALLY EERIE TO SEE THE TRACKS THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED BECAUSE THE TRACK THAT OCCURRED NORTH OF JACKSON IS EERILY SIMILAR TO THE TORNADO THAT HIT ROLLING FORK AND AMORY AND LEFT OUR STATE IN 2023. AND THE TRACK THAT HIT WALTHALL COUNTY, TYLERTOWN. AND THEN WENT NORTHEAST IS EERILY SIMILAR. SIMILAR TO ONE OF THE TORNADOES THAT CAME THROUGH ON EASTER SUNDAY IN 2020. I SIGNED A STATE OF EMERGENCY LAST NIGHT. IT APPEARS THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS IS LOOKING AT PRELIMINARY DATA, AND WE COULD HAVE AS MANY AS 12 TORNADOES THAT CAME THROUGH OUR STATE. OVER THE LAST 48 HOURS. I WILL ALSO TELL YOU A BIT OF GOOD NEWS. WHEN WE MADE OUR REPORT LATE LAST EVENING AROUND 9 P.M., WE STILL HAD THREE INDIVIDUALS MISSING. TWO OF THOSE WERE IN WALTHALL COUNTY, AND ONE, I BELIEVE WAS IN JEFF DAVIS. ALL THREE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN FOUND AND ARE ALIVE. AND SO THAT IS A BIT OF GOOD NEWS. EVEN WITH THAT, OUR FATALITY COUNT STILL STANDS AT SIX. SADLY, WE HAVE AT LEAST 27 CURRENTLY. INJURIES THAT ARE REPORTED. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE SEEN A NUMBER OF SHELTERS OPEN AROUND THE STATE. WE HAVE WE STILL HAVE A SHELTER OPEN AT THE CADENCE BANK ARENA AND CONFERENCE CENTER IN TUPELO THERE IN LEE COUNTY. WE STILL HAVE THE GRENADA CITY AUDITORIUM THAT IS OPEN IN GRENADA COUNTY. OBVIOUSLY, THE SMITH COUNTY MULTI-PURPOSE BUILDING IN SMITH COUNTY IS STILL OPEN. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE IS A COMMAND CENTER THAT HAS BEEN SET UP AT THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF TYLERTOWN IN WALTHALL COUNTY. EARLIER THIS MORNING. MAC, OUR DIRECTOR, WENT SOUTH. OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CLAYTON FRENCH, WENT NORTH AND TOURED THE AREAS. AND I’M GOING TO LET MAC TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EACH OF THOSE VISITS. WE ARE NOW UP TO 23 COUNTIES ACROSS MISSISSIPPI THAT ARE REPORTING DAMAGE AND DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS ARE ONGOING. WE CURRENTLY HAVE COMPLETED SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 575 DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 7859 POWER OUTAGES. THAT IS DOWN FROM A HIGH OF 36,000 AT ITS PEAK. AND OF THOSE 7859 POWER OUTAGES. NOT SURPRISINGLY, ABOUT HALF OF THOSE ARE IN EITHER GRENADA COUNTY OR WALTHALL COUNTY. WE HAVE ABOUT 1300 IN GRENADA COUNTY, ABOUT 2100. IN WALTHALL COUNTY. WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING ALL DAY AS COUNTIES HAVE BEEN DOING THEIR DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS AND OTHER THINGS. REQUEST THROUGH OUR WEB EOC RESOURCE REQUEST MECHANISM. I CAN TELL YOU THAT AS OF 3:00 PM TODAY, THERE ARE NO UNMET NEEDS IN THE SYSTEM THAT WILL CHANGE AS VARIOUS COUNTIES AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTORS DETERMINE THAT THERE ARE ADDITIONAL NEEDS. THEY WILL REQUEST THEM. AND WE HERE AT OUR EOC WILL DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE WHAT OUR PEOPLE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL NEED. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE AN APPROXIMATE 217 INDIVIDUALS ACROSS MISSISSIPPI THAT ARE DISPLACED, AND WE ARE WORKING TO DEAL WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE. WE HAVE SEEN, IN ADDITION TO THE 576 ASSESSMENTS THAT WE HAVE DONE, WE HAVE SEEN 12 DIFFERENT COUNTIES FILE EMERGENCY REQUESTS AND THREE DIFFERENT MUNICIPAL MUNICIPALITIES HAVE ALSO FILED EMERGENCY REQUESTS. SO WE’VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON. I’M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MAC. BUT BEFORE I DO, AS IS ALWAYS THE CASE, I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK EVERYONE HERE AT OUR STATE EOC FOR WORKING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE FIRST RESPONDERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, OUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS ALL AROUND THE STATE, MISSISSIPPIANS IN TIMES LIKE THESE STEP UP AND DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO TAKE CARE OF OUR FRIENDS AND OUR NEIGHBORS. AND THAT MAKES ME PROUD TO BE A MISSISSIPPIAN. SO WITH THAT, I’M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MAC AND LET HIM MAKE SOME COMMENTS. >> THANK YOU, GOVERNOR. ALL RIGHT. JUST TO KIND OF HIT ON SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT THE GOVERNOR WAS TALKING ABOUT, WE’VE THOSE LAST TWO COUNTIES ARE PRENTISS AND AND TISHOMINGO UP IN THE NORTH. AND THAT’S FLOODING. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT CULVERTS THAT ARE WIPED OUT OF WIPED OUT OF ROADS. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT ROADS UNDERWATER AND THINGS. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THESE EVENTS, YES, THESE TORNADOES ARE VERY TRAUMATIC. AND THEY CATCH YOUR EYE WHEN YOU SEE IT ON THE TV. BUT YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT WATER IS SLOW, BUT YOU’RE TALKING TEN, 8 TO 10IN IN A TIME FRAME THAT IS VERY SHORT. SO WE’VE GOT PEOPLE THAT ARE STRANDED ON SOME DEAD END ROADS UP THERE IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI. SO LEE PRENTISS AND TISHOMINGO IS IS GOING TO BE ONE THAT WE’RE HEADED TO NEXT. SO AS WE THIS THIS THE REALLY THE DAMAGE AND THE STORM IS NOT OVER IS AS I GUESS MY MAIN POINT IS RIGHT NOW AS WE’RE GOING TO GET FLOOD WATERS THAT ARE GOING TO MOVE DOWN THROUGH THE STATES AND ARE GOING TO IMPACT THE REST OF THE STATE FOR PROBABLY THE NEXT WEEK AND A HALF TO TWO WEEKS. WE’RE LOOKING AND WE’RE TRACKING THOSE. SO OUT OF THOSE 12 TORNADOES, WE’VE GOT ONE THAT NORTH MISSISSIPPI, ABOUT A 51 MILE LONG TRACK TORNADO. WE THINK IT’S GOING TO BE WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE TRACKS AND THE DAMAGES THAT WE CAN SEE FROM WHERE THE PUBLIC IS REPORTING. WE’RE LOOKING AT THAT THAT TYPICAL TYPE DAMAGE. BUT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, THEY’VE GOT THEIR TEAMS OUT AND WE’LL GET THE THE FINAL BLESSING ON EXACTLY WHAT THOSE ARE. THE ONES IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI. ONE OF THEM, 70 MILES LONG. SO THAT’S TALKING ABOUT A LONG TIME ON THE GROUND CAUSING CATASTROPHIC, WHICH ACTUALLY TRAPS YOUR FIRST RESPONDERS FOR A MAJOR PART OF THE STORMS LAST NIGHT WHERE THEY COULDN’T EVEN GET OUT TO ACTUALLY DO ANY OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO. TASK FORCE ONE. THAT SEARCH AND RESCUE CREW WAS UP AND RUNNING YESTERDAY. TASK FORCE TWO SPENT YESTERDAY IN THE MAJORITY OF IT IN WALTHALL, AND EVEN SPENT THE WHOLE NIGHT LAST NIGHT DOUBLE CHECKING EVERY RESIDENCE IN THAT AREA TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DID NOT LEAVE ANYBODY BEHIND. THEY WERE LOOKING FOR THE ONES THAT WERE MISSING AND THEY DID FIND THEM. SO THAT WAS AN AWESOME REPORT FROM THEM TODAY. SO IF YOU LOOK AT 576 S ASSESSMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE ON BUILDINGS OR BUSINESSES. HOUSES, YOU NAME IT, THAT’S GOING WE’RE PROBABLY GOING TO DO TRIPLE TO QUADRUPLE THAT IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE START GETTING INTO ROADS. WE’RE LOOKING AT THOSE HOW THEY’VE BEEN BLOWN OUT WITH THE CULVERTS AND OTHER THINGS. I GUESS TO PUT SOME ICING ON TOP OF THIS CAKE FROM YESTERDAY IS ALSO A 3.0 EARTHQUAKE IN MCGEE, MISSISSIPPI. WE’RE NOT SEEING ANY REGISTERED IMPACTS, ACTUALLY, FROM THE PUBLIC ON THAT. BUT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY PREPARERS WERE PART OF THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES EARTHQUAKE CONSORTIUM. I’M A MEMBER OF THAT, AND WE PREPARE FOR THAT TYPE OF EVENT. THAT WOULD BE FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH OF MISSISSIPPI, SO YOU CAN CATCH YOURSELF IN WHERE YOU’RE HAVING MULTIPLE TYPES OF HAZARDS DURING A TIME. BUT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI IS TRAINED FOR THAT. AND MY HATS GO OFF TO ROY MCKEE AND WALTHALL, THAT EMA DIRECTOR THAT WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH, JUST HAD A MEETING WITH HIM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. A DISTRICT TRAINING. AND THAT’S WHERE WE HONE OUR SKILLS, WORKING WITH THOSE LOCAL FRONT LINE EMERGENCY MANAGERS HIRED BY THOSE COUNTIES THAT ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY. THEY KNOW WHAT WHERE THEIR PUBLIC IS, THEY KNOW WHAT THE NEEDS ARE. AND WHEN THAT STORM COMES IN, WE’RE ABLE TO GO IN AND AUGMENT AND REALLY MAKE SOME GREAT THINGS HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY. THEY WERE GETTING READY. THEY WERE HAVING HAD ABOUT NINE CUT AND CHUNK TEAMS THAT WERE COMING IN TODAY WITH CHAINSAWS. A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS. I NEED TO TALK ABOUT VOLUNTEERS. COORDINATE THAT. YOU CAN CALL MEMA AND WE’LL HELP YOU COORDINATE TO GET INTO A COUNTY THAT IS IMPACTED WHERE THEY NEED YOU, BECAUSE WE WANT TO GO THROUGH VERY METHODICALLY WHEN WE’RE OUT THERE WORKING WITHIN THOSE COUNTIES, WITHIN THOSE CITIES, AND MAKE SURE WE’RE COVERING ALL THOSE AREAS. AND WE DON’T HAVE FIVE TEAM SHOWS UP WHEN THERE’S THREE, THREE TEAMS WORTH OF WORK. THE STATE WE’VE GOT PLENTY MORE WORK FOR YOU IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION. SO THE VOLUNTEERS ORGANIZATIONS AFTER DISASTERS ARE KEY. I MET WITH THE LEADER OF THAT ORGANIZATION TODAY. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, UP IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT ENERGY WAS FACING, 157 POLES WAS AT ONE OF THEIR AT 82%. CHECKING THERE WERE 82% DONE WITH THEIR INITIAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS. SO YOU’RE TALKING 157 POLES AND 27 TRANSFORMERS THAT HAVE TO BE HUNG, REPLACED TRIPLE STRAND WIRE, ETC. SO IF YOU SEE THE YELLOW LIGHTS, SLOW DOWN. I MEAN, THOSE ARE THOSE ARE SOMEBODY’S FAMILY MEMBER. THEY ARE WORKING HARD. THEY’RE WORKING LONG HOURS. WE WERE ABLE TO GET A WAIVER FROM THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER DIVISION SO THEY COULD WORK LONGER HOURS OUT THERE AND TRY TO GET SOME OF THIS LIFE SAVING ELECTRICITY BACK TO THOSE FOLKS THAT NEED IT FOR MEDICAL DEVICES AND OTHERS. THOSE DAMAGES THAT YOU HEARD TODAY THAT WE’VE DONE, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE THEY’RE RANGING FROM DESTROYED TO TO MAJOR TO MINOR TO AFFECTED. WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE. I’VE BEEN IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF REGION FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR, ROBERT SIMON. WE STARTED TALKING THURSDAY. WE KNEW THIS THIS THING WAS COMING. HE WAS WATCHING IT. I WAS WATCHING IT. AND WE’VE BEEN IN CONSTANT CONTACT AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE I HAVE SOME SOME LIAISON OFFICERS FROM FEMA HERE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK THAT WORK WITHIN MY DEPARTMENT. SO WE’RE ABLE TO FUNNEL INFORMATION BACK AND FORTH. WHAT ASSETS ARE AVAILABLE, WHAT ARE NOT. SO WE’RE SITTING PRIMED AND READY TO GO. LOOKING AT THE 12 THAT. CITIES THAT HAVE THAT HAVE DONE A LOCAL PROCLAMATION AND THEY’RE SAYING WE NEED WE NEED ASSISTANCE. THREE CITIES, NINE COUNTIES. AND THERE’S OTHERS THAT THEY HADN’T HAD TIME TO FILL OUT THAT PAPERWORK YET. WE’LL GET THE PAPERWORK FILLED OUT ON THOSE PROCLAMATIONS. BUT THEY WE KNOW THEY NEED IT. WE MADE THE PHONE CALL. WE DO A VERBAL AND WE MOVE. THAT’S WHAT I TOLD THE GOVERNOR LAST NIGHT. SO TO KIND OF ROUND IT OUT, ABOUT 900 TARPS SO FAR, ABOUT 10,000 TO 15,000 BOTTLES OF WATER. WE HAVE ALREADY DISTRIBUTED OUT AND THOSE COMMODITIES ARE READY. WE HAVE A WAREHOUSE IN BYRON, MISSISSIPPI, THE SEA LOCK. EVER SINCE COVID HIT. AND WE’VE GOT THE SUPPLIES, WE’VE GOT THE MEALS READY, WE’VE GOT THE WATER READY, TARPS, YOU NAME IT. ANY COMMODITY THAT’S NEEDED OUT IN THAT IMPACTED AREA, WE’RE READY TO MOVE WITH IT. SO, GOVERNOR, THAT’S ALL I HAVE AT THIS TIME. I’LL ANSWER QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO REITERATE AGAIN, A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR SARS ASSETS, OUR SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS. YOU’VE HEARD ME SAY THIS A LOT OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO WHEN WE HAVEN’T BEEN HERE, OUR SARS TEAMS GO TO FLORIDA. THEY GO TO SOUTH CAROLINA. THEY GO WHEREVER THEY ARE, ASKED TO HELP FIND AND AND RECOVER INDIVIDUALS IN THESE IN THE MOST DIFFICULT OF STORMS. AND CERTAINLY WHEN WE HAVE THEM HERE IN MISSISSIPPI AND THE TWO TEAMS THAT WERE OUT LAST NIGHT, LATE INTO THE NIGHT. WE WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK THEM. BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO QUESTIONS TO THE MEDIA HERE, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT DO METEOROLOGY AT OUR LOCAL NEWS STATIONS. THE WORK THAT YOU DO MATTERS. THE WORK THAT YOU DO SAVES LIVES, AND I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANY DOUBT WHATSOEVER THAT THAT IS THE CASE. I KNOW THAT I PERSONALLY, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ON FRIDAY NIGHT, HAD THE LOCAL TV STATIONS ON, AND I KNOW THAT LOTS OF OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THIS STATE DID AS WELL. SO I WANT TO THANK THOSE INDIVIDUALS ALSO FOR WORKING LONG HOURS AND KEEPING PEOPLE INFORMED. AGAIN, WE PROBABLY WEREN’T SHOCKED THAT WE SAW TORNADOES YESTERDAY, THAT WE SAW STRAIGHT LINE WINDS YESTERDAY. WE WERE A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED, OR AT LEAST I WAS, THAT WE HAD AN EARTHQUAKE THERE IN SIMPSON COUNTY, BUT I’VE BEEN IN I’VE SERVED AS GOVERNOR NOW FOR SIX YEARS, AND I’VE LEARNED TO NEVER BE SURPRISED ABOUT ANYTHING, BECAUS