( AP ) - Strong thunderstorms toppled trees, knocked out power and damaged homes across the South on Friday, while flooding in Kentucky forced evacuations and left a 2-year-old girl dead.
In Mississippi, fast-moving storms unleashed possible tornadoes, heavy rain and some hail. Power failures were reported in several communities, including near downtown Vicksburg and in Jackson.
Tate Moudy of Brandon had just walked into the Southern States Utility Trailer Sales office on U.S. 49 in Richland when "there was a big bang from a transformer being knocked out and debris started flying through the front door."
The powerful storm overturned 18-wheeler trailers, ripped away part of the roof of the sales office and twisted beams in the building, Moudy said. Employees and others had to remain inside because power lines had fallen across vehicles parked in the lot.
"It was scary, I can tell you that," he said.
The American Medical Response ambulance service, which serves a number of counties in the Jackson area, handled at least 20 storm-related injuries, spokesman Jim Pollard said. He said he had no immediate information on the nature of the injuries.
At least 90,000 customers of Entergy Mississippi lost power at some point Friday, mostly in and around Jackson, spokesman Checky Herrington said.