RIPLEY – The two storms which struck Tippah County over the weekend Friday, April 30 to Sunday, May 2, caused no fatalities, but did a great deal of destruction, according to a preliminary damage assessment presented at Tippah County Supervisors’ Monday morning meeting.

U. S. Sen. Roger Wicker, U. S. Rep. Travis Childers and State Rep. Billy McCoy saw the damage in Tippah, Alcorn and Benton counties during a visit Monday afternoon.

The two lines of storms were comprised of heavy rains and winds, with the second line far the stronger of the two.

Between Friday afternoon and Sunday, 8-10 inches of rain fell in northeast Mississippi, according to the National Weather Service.

Gov. Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency in several counties, including Tippah and Benton. Two people in Ashland were killed Sunday when a tornado destroyed their mobile home, according to reports.

The violent tornado-strength weather felled countless trees, knocked out power to thousands, did varying amounts of damage to at least 90 homes, forced the closing of the Tippah County Department of Human Resources Department due to flooding, and destroyed the Brownfield voting precinct building, Supervisors learned Monday morning.

Schools were closed in both the North Tippah and South Tippah school districts due to storm damage to many roads and bridges.

Tippah County Emergency Management Agency Director Tom Lindsey provided the preliminary assessment during supervisors Monday meeting.

Lindsey asked the board for a comprehensive list of damages, which will be compiled into a report to document the need for state and federal disaster aid.

The board passed a resolution declaring a local state of emergency, which is also a preliminary requirement to drawing disaster aid.

Lindsey told supervisors preliminary figures indicated about 90 homes and buildings had suffered some level of damage – with at least five of those destroyed, another 29 suffering major damages, and 58 structures sustaining lesser amounts of damages.

At least 10 roads have been closed due to flooding and washouts, and damages to bridges and culverts. Another 20 or so roads are affected, according to figures presented at the meeting.

He said that the storm knocked out power to about 7,500 TEPA customers. Thanks to efforts by TEPA crews, with assistance from other EPAs, only about 674 customers remained without power as of Monday morning.

Lindsey said about 250 meals had been served Sunday night by the Red Cross and other emergency providers, and that Baptist district association volunteers soon be helping to feed people.

Supervisors also discussed obtaining a FEMA trailer to use as a temporary voting precinct building to replace the Brownfield voting precinct building. That building -- located on the Guy Cameron property – was destroyed by the storm, supervisors said.

The board praised the efforts of countless people – from unnamed volunteers to 911 dispatchers, law enforcement and emergency service personnel from this county and elsewhere -- who pulled together during the storms.

Included were all the county’s volunteer fire departments. Said Board president Jimmy Gunn at the meeting: “The volunteer firefighters did a heck of a job. I don’t know what we would have done without them. All they wanted to know was ‘what do you need us to do?’”