Tornadoes unleashed by thunderstorms along the United States Gulf Coast have ripped through south-eastern Mississippi, killing at least four people, injuring numerous others and causing extensive damage to homes and businesses.
Authorities said one of the heaviest-hit areas was a commercial district along the US Highway 98 bypass in the town of Columbia in Marion County.
Marion County Sheriff Berkley Hall said whole roofs were lying on the road, people are trapped in houses, and cars are flipped over.