HERNANDO, Miss. — Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann traveled to Desoto County on Monday, just days after two tornadoes touched down in the area injuring two people and leaving behind damage.
“Amazing we don’t have loss of life,” he told reporters at a news conference.
Hosemann will tour the area on Monday to begin the process of adding up the cost of the damage here in Desoto County and other areas hit hard by Saturday’s storms.
He said in order to get federal declaration, Desoto County will have to prove they have more than $619,000 worth of damage. That number goes up to $4.5 million for the entire state to receive a declaration.
Prior to speaking with reporters on Monday, Hosemann said he’d only driven through a small portion of the county to see the damage. Based on what he’s seen so far, he said it’s likely Desoto County will get that declaration.
“I’m going to be very surprised if we don’t get that number,” Hosemann admitted.
In all, he said at least 200 were directly impacted by the storm.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency listed damage reports for these counties:
• Bolivar – 107 homes damaged, three roads damaged, four injured
• Carrol – one home damaged, 10 roads damaged
• Chickasaw – one home damaged, 10 roads damaged
• Choctaw – 26 apartment units damaged, 10 roads closed due to debris, two closed due to flooding
• Coahoma – two homes damaged
• Copiah – one home damaged
• DeSoto – 210 homes damaged, five roads closed
• Grenada – 10 homes damaged
• Hinds – 13 homes damaged
• Leflore – three homes damaged
• Leake – 10 roads closed due to flooding
• Lee – homes damaged, roads flooded
• Marshall – five homes damaged, three roads closed, one injured
• Monroe – one home damaged, 10 apartment units damaged, 15 roads closed
• Oktibbeha – 30 roads closed and/or flooded
• Panola – 50 homes damaged, 30 roads closed and/or flooded, one injury
• Prentiss – 54 homes damaged, five apartments damaged
• Quitman – eight homes damaged, four apartments damaged, one road closed
Entergy crews work to restore power as NWS confirms two tornadoes in Desoto County