Thousands without power, storm damage reports flood in following severe weather across the Mid-South

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Thousands of Mid-Southerners are without power and emergency officials have reported damage as a severe weather system moves across the Mid-South.

More than 23,000 MLGW customers are currently without power, down from the initial 38,000 customers reported Saturday morning.

MLGW Vice President of Engineering and Operations Nick Newman says winds affected power lines during Saturday’s weather. Crews are assessing the number of poles down across the county.

MLGW credits their work to getting power recovered for customers by being proactive and reaching out to contractors days ahead of the projected weather.

The utility expects power to be 95 percent restored by Monday night into Tuesday.

DeSoto, Cross, Crittenden, Mississippi and Phillips counties also reached outages in the thousands.

Emergency vehicles are responding to damage reports in Hernando as the National Weather Services issues active tornado warnings for counties in Tennessee and Mississippi.

In DeSoto County trees and power lines are down mostly south of the Hernando and Lewisburg area. Officials say Highway 52, Gaines, Craft, Bethel, and College Road are seeing the most damage.

Viewer video shows hail in Southaven and Memphis and flooded roads in Frayser. A tree left an East Parkway apartment damaged when it came crashing through the roof.

Radar indicated wind gusts in excess of 80 mph. Several semi-trucks have overturned in Arkansas and one in Mississippi.

Emergency Management Director Daniel Cole in Panola County says the area faced widespread damage with trees crushing homes and fallen power lines. Two commercial businesses, one being M&M Quickstop, also faced severe damage. Cole says people should avoid leaving their homes.

Please send your weather pictures and videos to www.wmcacionnews5.com/mypics.

Copyright 2020 WMC. All rights reserved.