The DeSoto County Board of Supervisors issued a Declaration of Emergency following severe weather that swept across the area late Sunday night, leaving considerable destruction in its wake. As reported by Action News 5, the aftermath of the storms included downed trees, damaged power lines, blocked roads, and power outages affecting thousands of residents. The violent weather, possibly featuring a tornado, has prompted emergency crews to work tirelessly to clear roads and restore essential access, while additional help has been requested to aid in the response efforts.
Following this emergency declaration, a mandatory closure of schools on Monday was announced to ensure the safety of students as the county grapples with the cleanup. As stated by Robert Foster, a DeSoto County Supervisor for District 5, in a FOX13 Memphis interview, "Crews are working to clear roads and get power restored ASAP." The same source also highlights Northcentral Electric Cooperative's announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter, that their full crew is diligently addressing power outages, emphasizing their intent to "work through the night" to restore services despite scattered outages.
By 9 a.m. today, over 7,000 customers were reported without power in DeSoto County, according to Local Memphis. The Hernando Police Department officials verified that power and traffic lights are out across the entire city, urging the public to exercise caution. This widespread calamity has also led to the closure of county offices, with county supervisors scheduling a brief meeting to ratify the Declaration of Emergency and deferring all other agenda items to the following Thursday, May 22.
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