YAZOO CITY, MISSISSIPPI (BNO NEWS) — A massive tornado rage through Mississippi from the border with Louisiana to Alabama, causing major damage and injuring and trapping many people, officials said Saturday.

The tornado was first spotted around 11.35 a.m. CDT near Valley Park, an unincorporated community in Issaquena County, Mississippi. “National Weather Service meteorologists and storm spotters were tracking a large and extremely dangerous wedge tornado,” the agency said.

In Mississippi, Yazoo County appeared to be the worst-hit area. Authorities said dozens of homes and businesses had been damaged or destroyed in the city, leaving numerous people injured. On the south side of Yazoo City, according to a storm chaser, numerous buildings were destroyed at highway 16 and Old Benton Road.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour declared State of Emergency and deployed National Guards troops to assist people who are trapped. Barbour, at a news conference, said at least 19 people were injured and compared the Yazoo County tornado damage to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Three miles north of Satartia, a village in Yazoo County, a home collapsed which left multiple people trapped inside, according to the NWS. A church was also destroyed at the corner of Highway 16 and Highway 49.

Dispatchers in Warren County reported that 30 houses were flattened in Eagle Bend, an unincorporated community northwest of Vicksburg. There was no word on casualties.

In Holmes County, multiple cars were blown off Interstate 55 when the tornado struck. There were multiple injuries, according to an emergency manager, but details remained sketchy.

In Hesterville, Attala County, numerous injuries were reported. Details were not immediately available.

MANY DAMAGE IN LOUISIANA

In Louisiana, where the tornado struck first, law enforcement in Madison Parish reported that multiple homes were destroyed. In Omega, the tornado caused significant damage to an industrial plant. An unknown number of people were injured at the plant while others were believed to remain trapped.

A trained NWS spotter reported that 10 to 15 homes were destroyed in the Bear Lake Community of Tallulah, Madison County. The spotter reported that a ultra high voltage transmission town was down.

Also near the Bear Lake Community, 12 tank cars were turned over while multiple ground storage chemical tanks were destroyed. The NWS said there were ‘numerous’ injuries.