Residents in central Mississippi awoke Saturday morning to a trail of destruction caused by deadly overnight tornadoes.
Dozens of people were reported dead or injured and the town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, was essentially flattened by the storm, officials say.
On Friday night, a violent storm swept northeastward across much of Mississippi and Alabama. Emergency responders were surging to the area Saturday morning, and the death toll may climb, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
About 1,900 people live in the city of Rolling Fork, according to U.S. Census data. The city is a part of Sharkey County, which is home to about 3,800 people.
'MY CITY IS GONE': Emergency officials report at least 23 dead from Mississippi tornadoes
How many people died in the Mississippi tornadoes?
At least 23 people were dead, dozens injured and four missing in the wake of a spate of tornadoes, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency confirmed Saturday morning.
Where is Rolling Fork, Mississippi?
The small town of Rolling Fork is located about 60 miles northwest of Jackson in west-central Mississippi, near the border with Louisiana and the Mississippi River.
Photos show damage from Mississippi tornadoes
How much damage did the Mississippi tornadoes cause?
Residents say the skyline they grew up seeing in Rolling Fork is unrecognizable after buildings were completely flattened.
A local animal shelter was destroyed by the tornadoes and a hospital was damaged, WAPT reported.
"Houses [were] completely demolished, businesses demolished … pretty much most of the town is unrecognizable right now," Baeley Williams, one of the first responders in Rolling Fork, told AccuWeather.
Saturday morning, over 12,000 households were without power in Mississippi, along with 18,000 in Alabama and 33,000 in Tennessee, according to poweroutage.us.
What's the weather forecast in Mississippi?
Less than one day after the devastating storms, the weather in Rolling Fork is expected to be sunny and clear throughout Saturday as first responders work.
Contributing: Christine Fernando, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mississippi tornadoes cause death, destruction: Photos show damage; what we know