Several tornadoes have struck southern Mississippi, causing major damage and injuries.
The National Weather Service reported Sunday that damage from tornadoes occurred in Marion, Lamar, Forrest and Wayne counties.
Emergency managers are reporting the most significant damage has occurred in Forrest County, where multiple businesses and homes were hit including the University of Southern Mississippi campus.
Greg Flynn of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency says officials estimate that several hundred homes were damaged in Forrest County.
Forrest County Sheriff Billy McGee says 10 or 15 people were injured by the tornado but none of the injuries were serious.
McGee says, "Most of our injuries have been walking wounded."
McGee says rescue workers are still going house-to-house to check on people and make sure nobody's trapped.
Many people captured video of the large tornado as it tracked across the city.
Forrest County Fire Coordinator Chip Brown said there is major damage in Hattiesburg and to the northeast in Petal, including on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi.
"We had a tornado touch down. We have a lot of damage," said Kyle Hopkins, operations director for Forrest County emergency operations.
The university released a statement saying that several buildings had been damaged but that no injuries were reported. Campus police have declared a state of emergency and asked anyone not on campus to stay away.
Marion County emergency director Aaron Greer says five injuries, at least one minor, have been reported in the community of Pickwick, about seven miles south of Columbia.
Greer says one mobile home was destroyed, three other structures have major damage, two or three have minor damage, and emergency workers are still checking three other roads where damage was reported.
This is a developing weather situation and more information will be made available as it is released by law enforcement.
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