Pelicans handle Clippers, Kawhi Leonard leaves game early

• March 26, 2023

LOS ANGELES — The Clippers are expected to be without All-Star wing Paul George for the remainder of the regular season and potentially the first round of the playoffs, making advancing deep into the postseason more difficult.

But the Clippers need to get there first and Saturday’s 131-110 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans didn’t point them in the right direction.

With just seven games left before the postseason begins, the Clippers (39-36) need to stack up victories to hold onto their spot in the top half of the Western Conference and avoid the Play-In Tournament. A 21-point defeat was not the way to go, especially if Kawhi Leonard misses any games after suffering a facial contusion.

From the start, the Pelicans, who were missing star Zion Williamson (hamstring) outhustled the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. New Orleans raced out to an 8-0 lead and, it didn’t get much better for the Clippers as the game progressed. Brandon Ingram and Trey Murphy III were just getting warmed up.

The two Pelicans stars bombarded the Clippers from behind the 3-point line all game, finishing with a combined 13 3-pointers. Ingram scored a team-high 32 points, his second consecutive 30-point game, behind 12-of-22 shooting including three 3-pointers. He also contributed 12 assists and four rebounds in three quarters.

Murphy III finished with 32 points on a career-high 10 of 12 3-pointers and 9 of 12 shots overall. There was little the Clippers could do.

Overall, the Pelicans made 21 of 34 3-point attempts, compared to the Clippers’ -5 of 33

“To start the game, I thought they were faster than us,” Coach Tyronn Lue said. “They got out in transition. They created mismatches in transition because of the way they pushed it.

“We weren’t able to get back and get matched. Ingram came out and got to his spots early in the game. We tried to double team Ingram, which opened up Murphy to get 3’s. You just kind of pick your poison.”

For the Clippers to be effective during George’s absence, Lue said the team needs to play with increased energy. The pace needs to be amped up and that can’t rest with their trio of energetic guards – Rusell Westbrook, Bones Hyland and Terance Mann. Leonard must be part of the mix.

“For him (Leonard) to play fast and attack early in transition or early in the clock, that helps him out because now teams aren’t getting back, getting set or able to double team him as much,” Lue said.

Leonard didn’t factor into the Clippers offense much, finishing with a quiet 12 points, six rebounds and four assists before leaving the game in the fourth quarter. Lue didn’t have an update on the star forward.

“Tonight, was a tough night,” Lue said. When both of them were off (George and Leonard) and when you play against a team that’s pretty good, you struggle.”

Eric Gordon made all three of his long-range shots and finished with 15 points, while three others scored in double figures.

The Clippers discovered it difficult to step up the pace when the Pelicans were running circles around them. Not only did they fail to stop Ingram and Murphy III, but the Clippers were also outrebounded (45 to 31), turned the ball over 20 times, scored just four second-chance points and gave up 54 points in the paint.

“I thought they really came out to attack us tonight and they did that,” Lue said. “On the offensive end, 20 turnovers for 28 points are too many, especially for a fast team like this. You can’t allow turnovers and expect to get back and get matched in transition so, it was a tough game for us tonight.

“They played well. Hats off to them.”

​ Orange County Register 

Ducks’ Adam Henrique: ‘I want to be healthy going into the summer’

• March 26, 2023

ANAHEIM — Ducks forward Adam Henrique looked to be channeling his inner Patrick Eaves, showing impressive beard growth in the time he has been out of the lineup with an injured knee.

Still, his former teammate, Eaves, set the facial-hair bar quite high back in the day.

“That will take a long time,” Henrique said, of approaching Eaves. “It (the beard) is something I’ve been working on, I guess, the whole time I’ve been out. Not much else to do.”

The state of Henrique has been trending in a positive way. He was able to finally take part in a meaningful practice, at the morning skate at Honda Center, for the first time since suffering the injury on Feb. 21 at Tampa Bay.

After the Ducks-Blues games, there will be nine games remaining in the regular season and Henrique is competing with the calendar. The veteran doesn’t have anything to prove at this stage of his career, but he explained on Saturday morning why he is pushing to return.

“It’s just more for me,” said Henrique, who had 19 goals and 14 assists in 57 games. “The timeline and the time left in the season – it’s pretty close. We’ve taken steps, the progression of where we think we will be and where we are at times. Things have come along well.

“I think it’s just more for me to get a couple of games where it’s more peace of mind really. I’m not trying to rush back for anything. On a personal note, I want to be healthy going into the summer and not have to worry about anything. Part of that would be to get a couple of games in. Where you can be out there and play and not have any doubt or think about the knee.”

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Ducks coach Dallas Eakins was able to get out on the ice on Friday with Henrique, who was skating before practice.

“He’s inching along and he seems hungry to play,” Eakins said. “We’ll see where that goes. Any time a guy has been out that long, his teammates are always happy to see him.”

Ice chips 

Frank Vatrano wasn’t available to talk after the Ducks-Winnipeg Jets game on Thursday – the Ducks forward has scored in back-to-back games – but had an excellent reason for trying to leave Honda Center as fast as possible. His wife Rebecca was due to give birth in the upcoming days.

Their first child  – daughter Ophelia – was born on Saturday morning and Vatrano missed Saturday night’s game against the Blues. It was the first game Vatrano, who has 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) has missed this season. Trevor Zegras, Ryan Strome and Cam Fowler are the only Ducks to have appeared in every game this season.

Rebecca and Frank Vatrano welcomed their first child into the world today!

A baby girl named Ophelia.

Frank will be out of the lineup tonight. pic.twitter.com/QEKOPibszV

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) March 25, 2023

Michigan Man

Ducks center Mason McTavish keeps a close eye on the progress of his good friend and former Team Canada teammate Kent Johnson of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Johnson, who played two years at the University of Michigan, happened to score a dazzling lacrosse-style goal, a “Michigan,” against the visiting New York Islanders on Friday night.

McTavish: “It’s probably the goal of the year.”

27 years after “The Michigan Goal” was born by Mike Legg, a 20-year-old who played at @umichhockey just pulled it off in the @NHL.

What a goal by @BlueJacketsNHL forward Kent Johnson! pic.twitter.com/VGRnjianlX

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 25, 2023

​ Orange County Register 

Scuba diver reported missing in Laguna Beach dies in hospital

• March 26, 2023

A scuba diver reported missing off Shaw’s Cove Beach in Laguna Beach on Saturday was located in the ocean and rushed to a hospital, where he died.

Lifeguards were dispatched at 12:32 p.m. to the beach to search for the 46-year-old man, Marine Safety Captain Kai Bond said. They located him about 100 yards offshore after an extensive search.

“Lifeguards rescued the victim at 1:33 p.m. and provided lifesaving measures with paramedics from the Laguna Beach Fire Department,” Bond said. “The victim was transported to Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach and pronounced deceased at the hospital at approximately 2:30 p.m.”

The diver’s name was withheld until relatives could be notified, he said.

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​ Orange County Register 

Bobby Wagner returning to Seahawks on 1-year deal

• March 26, 2023

By TIM BOOTH

SEATTLE — Bobby Wagner is headed back to the Seattle Seahawks to rejoin the team with which he became one of the top linebackers in the NFL.

The team announced Wagner’s return Saturday night, filling a major need on Seattle’s remodeled defense. It’s a one-year contract, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce terms.

“BOBBY. IS. BACK,” the Seahawks posted on their Twitter account. “We’ve agreed to terms with the future Hall of Famer.”

Seattle teammates Quandre Diggs and Tyler Lockett first broke the news on Twitter, and NFL Network and ESPN said the deal was worth up to $7 million.

“Glad to be back in Seattle! It means a lot to be able to come back!” Wagner tweeted.

Wagner spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Seahawks after being selected in the second round of the 2012 draft by Seattle. He became a six-time first-team All-Pro selection during his tenure in Seattle, where he was regularly regarded as one of the best middle linebackers in the league.

Wagner was released by Seattle just over a year ago in a salary cap move. Wagner was due nearly $17 million and Seattle wanted to give Jordyn Brooks the opportunity to step into the middle linebacker role

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But Brooks suffered a torn ACL late last season and is expected to miss a significant chunk of the 2023 season. Seattle signed Devin Bush to a one-year deal earlier in free agency, but still needed additional answers.

Enter Wagner, who was a second-team All-Pro selection last season playing for his hometown Rams. Wagner started all 17 games and had 140 tackles for the Rams, but was let go by the Rams earlier this offseason with Los Angeles entering a rebuild phase.

The Ontario Colony High alumnus is the latest addition to what will be a significantly altered defense in Seattle. The Seahawks have already signed Bush, defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones and Jarran Reed, and safety Julian Love as part of their offseason makeover.

​ Orange County Register 

Hoornstra: Shohei Ohtani takes center stage among 2023’s storylines to watch in MLB

• March 26, 2023

Baseball is Shohei Ohtani’s world and we’re all just living in it.

At least, that’s how it feels in the afterglow of the World Baseball Classic, which ended when Ohtani struck out teammate Mike Trout with a wicked slider to lift Japan past the U.S. to the WBC championship.

If he isn’t the best all-around player ever to wear a baseball uniform, Ohtani is at least the closest thing since Babe Ruth. Back-to-back seasons of dominance at the plate and on the mound have earned him that much.

But until he wins a championship and signs a highly anticipated free agent contract, some will be waiting for the other shoe to drop on Ohtani’s career. Aside from his raw talent, those questions will make Ohtani the face of baseball for at least the next year.

You’d think it would have made him the focus of the league’s preseason marketing campaign. But, alas, we begin our look at the most intriguing storylines of 2023 with …

The rules

Major League Baseball really wants you to know it’s speeding up the game, banning extreme infield shifts, and making it easier to steal bases. The new rules are the focal point of a newly released ad campaign (featuring Bryan Cranston watching baseball on television, defining the target demographic perfectly). The tagline ― “Three New Rules. More Great Action.” ― feels a bit self-congratulatory on the league’s part. But the rules appear to be delivering on their promise.

With the pitch timer in place, the average time of a spring training game is down nearly half an hour compared to last year. Pitch timer violations are down in general, and it’s been a month since one decided the outcome of a game. Batting average on balls in play is on the rise, likely because of the ban on infield shifts, and so are stolen bases. Don’t accuse MLB of false advertising.

Meanwhile, the league is asking umpires to more rigorously enforce the foreign substance checks that went into effect in 2021. Whether they work or not, at least the hand checks have begun in spring training, when pitchers have more time to adjust. Two years ago, at least one pitcher suffered an injury that he attributed to his inability to grip the baseball after the sticky-substance enforcement went into effect. We can only hope that doesn’t happen again.

Ohtani watch

The MVP of the World Baseball Classic (and the runner-up to Aaron Judge in last year’s AL MVP race) is entering his first contract year stateside. That’s a scary thought. Ohtani’s last two seasons are already unparalleled in major league history and, barring injury, he can look ahead to signing the largest contract in North American sports history.

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Unless the Angels race out to a big cushion in their quest to end their playoff drought, questions will persist until the trade deadline whether or not Ohtani will finish the season in Anaheim. Even if he stays put until the end of the season, speculation about his next team is already the subject of Las Vegas gambling odds.

Those in Ohtani’s circle believe the two-way superstar has come to feel at home in Southern California, which could matter more as he looks ahead to his future. Ohtani turns 29 in July.

Unfortunately for the Angels, winning a championship has come to matter more to Ohtani, too. The Angels have yet to win a playoff game since 2009. Southern California’s other MLB teams have the money (and in the Dodgers’ case, the prospect capital, if the Angels entertain a trade) to acquire the game’s best player.

In the meantime, try to enjoy what Ohtani is doing on the field. No one has done this before.

The nouveau riche

Speaking of the Padres and things no one has done before: San Diego’s $1.5 billion in salary commitments beyond 2023 already dwarf those of the Yankees and Mets. Can owner Peter Seidler spend his way to a title?

History isn’t on the Padres’ side, but it’s a remarkable experiment in how to do business. The Padres spent roughly five years amassing prospect capital before trading almost all of it away in pursuit of a championship-contending roster.

Now, even Three Finger Brown could count the number of homegrown Padres on one hand: only backup catcher Luis Campusano and reliever Steven Wilson were drafted into the organization. (Pitcher Adrian Morejon, signed as an international amateur, is expected to begin the season on the injured list.)

Milestone watch

Baseball is increasingly a young man’s game, but a few MLB veterans have hung around long enough to push their way into some prestigious leaderboards.

Craig Kimbrel (394) and Kenley Jansen (391) are poised to become the seventh and eighth closers to join the 400-save club. Clayton Kershaw (197) and Adam Wainwright (195) will likely become the fourth and fifth active members of the exclusive 200-win club. Justin Verlander, at 244, has two more years under his new contract with the Mets to convince us that 300 isn’t yet out of reach.

Albert Pujols’ retirement leaves Miguel Cabrera as the only active member of baseball’s 3,000-hit club. There’s quite a bit of daylight between Cabrera (3,088) and the number-2 player on the career hits list, Joey Votto (2,093). Cabrera’s next hit will tie him with Ichiro Suzuki for 24th all-time.

In fact, Cabrera is the torchbearer for persistence these days. He needs 75 RBIs this season to push his way into the top-10 all-time. No other active player is even in the top 100. He’s also the only active player in the top 100 all time in doubles (14th) and total bases (16th).

​ Orange County Register 

Why I admire the GOATs of the business world

• March 26, 2023

Listen to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elizabeth Warren, or former secretary of labor Robert Reich, and you’ll hear them attacking billionaire businesspeople, while their Twitter followers cheer. The takeaway is that such businesspeople are contemptible, if not worse.

But I hold the opposite view.

When I think of billionaires who earned their fortunes through creative work and exceptional ability, I’m filled with admiration. Just as we appreciate world-class athletes for their accomplishments, so I appreciate the GOATs of the business world for their extraordinary achievements.

Common to such billionaires and elite athletes is that they do their job at a superlative level. They are the best in the world at doing what they do, and only an infinitesimal number of people ever reach their level of performance. LeBron James, Tom Brady and Lionel Messi are some of the greatest in history. We know a bit about how they reach sporting excellence— dedication to continual improvement, perseverance, extraordinary skills— and so, they are a source of inspiration for millions of people. Likewise, I look at Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos with equal admiration for the virtues they’ve embodied to reach excellence in the world of business.

When I watched the documentary The Last Dance, I was in awe of Michael Jordan’s rise to the pinnacle of professional basketball and how he built his career from the ground up. I had a similar reaction when I read about Jobs’ story. He rose to the top of the business world by co-founding Apple in his garage with Steve Wozniak, with very little money. Today, Apple is worth over $2 trillion. Jobs managed to create an exceptional company that continued to thrive long after his death.

The iPhone has brought enormous value to my life. It has allowed me to instantly connect with family and friends all over the world, have immediate access to any information I want, work and play with a device that fits in my pocket, among other things. The iPhone pioneered an entire new category of mobile phones and revolutionized the way we use them by changing the way we collect, create and transmit information. It’s hard to overstate the impact that Jobs’ creation has had in the world—like it’s hard to exaggerate the immense influence that Jordan has had in basketball and on the millions of people he inspired throughout his career.

Building a company like Apple took extraordinary intelligence, independent vision, creativity and business acumen from Jobs. Hiring the right people to perform technical work to build Apple’s technology required an extraordinary mind. When I read about Jobs’ process, or when I watch his presentations, I can’t help but feel admiration for his ambition, his perseverance and commitment to bringing his vision to life. To me, watching a mind work at that level is even more fascinating and awe-inspiring than watching Messi score a goal at minute 107 in the World Cup final.

Another demonized businessman is Jeff Bezos, who built Amazon from the ground up with an initial investment of $10,000 of his own money. Amazon is now worth over one trillion dollars. Without Bezos’ unique vision, aptitude for logistics and independent thought, he could have never transformed an online used books store into the biggest online retailer in history with over one million employees—just like Tom Brady couldn’t have won the most Super Bowls in history without his superlative understanding of the game of football and his outstanding work ethic.

Bezos’ innovations have made my life so much better: for the most part, I no longer have the need to go out to several different stores to buy whatever items I may need: if it exists, Amazon will ship it to me in one or two days— and I have my groceries delivered weekly at my doorstep with Amazon’s grocery delivery service. Bezos has saved me an extraordinary amount of time with his company—time that has been freed to work, play, or spend it with loved ones.

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There’s something deeply valuable in watching humans perform at their best—whether they are the GOATs of sports or titans of industry. When I see an elite athlete perform, I am inspired to go a little harder at the gym, to eat a little better, to take better care of my body. I will never be a professional athlete, but with the right work and inspiration I can be the healthiest I can be and perform at my best. When I see an elite business person at work and see and use their creations, I am inspired to work a little harder, to be a little bit more productive, to be more ambitious. I may never be a billionaire, but with the right inspiration I can be the best and most productive version of myself.

James, Brady and Messi continually push the limits of what can be done at their sports. James is the all-time leading scorer in the NBA, Brady has won the most Super Bowls, and Messi holds several records himself. Like them, Bezos, Jobs, and other entrepreneurs push technological advancement forward and produce new life-furthering values on so vast a scale, it’s awe inspiring.

When they are taken for granted, or worse, attacked ruthlessly by Robert Reich and his ilk, I can’t help but think it is a real injustice: they deserve respect and recognition for the work they do. No one debates whether James, Brady or Messi deserve our respect for their work; why don’t productive geniuses get the same treatment? There is certainly a lot to admire in what these billionaire businessmen have achieved in their careers and the virtues they’ve embodied to do so.

Agustina Vergara Cid is a junior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute. You can follow her on Twitter @agustinavcid

​ Orange County Register 

Angels lose to Cubs in final spring training game

• March 25, 2023

THE GAME: The Angels lost 7-5 to the Chicago Cubs in the final exhibition game in the Arizona portion of spring training. The Angels are 15-11-2 as they head back to Southern California for the three-game Freeway Series with the Dodgers.

PITCHING REPORT: Right-hander Sam Bachman, one of the Angels’ top pitching prospects, started and pitched two scoreless innings. Bachman worked around two hits and two walks, striking out three. He left the bases loaded in the second when he struck out Nick Madrigal. “Just to show that I can compete, you don’t want to roll over in that scenario,” Bachman said. “I’m glad I was able to do that and I’m happy with how it went.” Bachman’s fastball was 94-97 mph. … Left-hander Matt Moore did not get through an inning. He recorded two outs and was charged with four runs. Moore, who signed a $7.55-million deal at the start of spring training, has allowed nine runs in 7 2/3 innings in Cactus League games. … Right-hander Ryan Tepera struck out the side. … Right-hander Carlos Estévez gave up a run. He allowed a one-out single. The runner stole second, went to third on a grounder and scored on a wild pitch.

HITTING REPORT: Luis Rengifo had a pair of singles and a walk and he scored on a Taylor Jones hit. Rengifo is 13 for 31 (.419) with a 1.247 OPS this spring. Rengifo has three hits in his last five at-bats against left-handed pitchers. Rengifo was much better against lefties last season, so he is expected to start against most lefties this season… Matt Thaiss is hitless in his last 16 at-bats. He’s now 7 for 29 (.241), but his 10 walks helped lift his OPS to .746. Thaiss is out of options. He and Logan O’Hoppe are battling for the backup catcher spot, although the Angels still could keep them both. … Jordyn Adams pulled an RBI double down the left-field line. Adams, a 23-year-old former first-round pick, is 12 for 34 (.353) with a 1.005 OPS in the spring.

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DEFENSE REPORT: Rengifo quickly played a ball off the right-field fence and got it back in to the infield. On the next play, he got a late jump on a shallow pop and the ball dropped just out of his reach. Rengifo is normally an infielder, but the Angels are giving more reps in the outfield to make him an option when one of their starting outfielders needs a day off. … Second baseman Adrian Placencia was charged when an error when a ball hopped past him. … Thaiss, the catcher, threw a ball into center field on a stolen base attempt. … Left fielder Jeremiah Jackson sprinted into foul territory to make a catch.

UP NEXT: Angels vs. Dodgers, 6 p.m. Sunday, Dodger Stadium, Bally Sports West, 830 AM.

​ Orange County Register 

‘There’s nothing left’: Deep South tornadoes kill 26

• March 25, 2023

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS, MICHAEL GOLDBERG and ROGELIO SOLIS

ROLLING FORK, Miss. (AP) — Rescuers raced Saturday to search for survivors and help hundreds of people left homeless after a powerful tornado cut a devastating path through Mississippi, killing at least 25 people, injuring dozens, flattening entire blocks and obliterating houses in at least one Mississippi Delta town as it carved a path of destruction for more than an hour. One person was killed in Alabama.

The tornado devastated a swath of the town of Rolling Fork, reducing homes to piles of rubble, flipping cars on their sides and toppling the town’s water tower. Residents hunkered down in bath tubs and hallways during Friday night’s storm and later broke into a John Deere store that they converted into a triage center for the wounded.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency announced late Saturday afternoon in a tweet that the death toll had risen to 25 from 23. Four people previously reported missing have been found, but dozens also were injured.

“There’s nothing left,” said Wonder Bolden, holding her granddaughter, Journey, while standing outside the remnants of her mother’s now-leveled mobile home in Rolling Fork. “There’s just the breeze that’s running, going through — just nothing.”

Other parts of the Deep South were digging out from damage caused by other suspected twisters. One man also died in Morgan County, Alabama, the sheriff’s department there said in a tweet.

“There’s nothing left,” said Wonder Bolden, holding her granddaughter, Journey, while standing outside the remnants of her mother’s now-leveled mobile home in Rolling Fork. “There’s just the breeze that’s running, going through — just nothing.”

Throughout Saturday, she and others walked around dazed and in shock as they broke through debris and fallen trees with chain saws, searching for survivors. Power lines were pinned under decades-old oaks, their roots torn from the ground.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves issued a State of Emergency and vowed to help rebuild as he headed to view the damage in an area speckled with wide expanses of cotton, corn and soybean fields and catfish farming ponds. President Joe Biden also promised federal help, describing the damage as “heartbreaking.”

The damage in Rolling Fork was so widespread that several storm chasers — who follow severe weather and often put up livestreams showing dramatic funnel clouds — pleaded for search and rescue help. Others abandoned the chase to drive injured people to the hospital.

But it didn’t help that the community hospital on the west side of town was damaged, forcing patients to be transferred.

Sheddrick Bell, his partner and two daughters crouched in a closet of their Rolling Fork home for 15 minutes as the tornado barreled through. His daughters wouldn’t stop crying. He could hear his partner praying out loud beside him.

“I was just thinking, ‘If I can still open my eyes and move around, I’m good,’” he said.

Rodney Porter, who lives about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Rolling Fork and belongs to a local fire department, said he didn’t know how anyone survived as he delivered water and fuel to families there.

“It’s like a bomb went off,” he said, describing houses stacked on top of houses. Crews even cut gas lines to the town to keep residents and first responders safe.

The warning the National Weather Service issued as the storm hit didn’t mince words: “To protect your life, TAKE COVER NOW!”

Preliminary information based on estimates from storm reports and radar data indicate that it was on the ground for more than an hour and traversed at least 170 miles (274 kilometers), said Lance Perrilloux, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Jackson, Mississippi, office.

“That’s rare — very, very rare,” he said, attributing the long path to widespread atmospheric instability. “All the ingredients were there.”

Perrilloux said preliminary findings are that the tornado began its path of destruction just southwest of Rolling Fork before continuing northeast toward the rural communities of Midnight and Silver City before moving toward Tchula, Black Hawk and Winona.

The supercell that produced the deadly twister also appeared to produce tornadoes that caused damage in northwest and north-central Alabama, said Brian Squitieri, a severe storms forecaster with Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

In northern Alabama’s Morgan County, a 67-year-old man who became trapped beneath a trailer that flipped over during severe overnight storms was rescued by first responders, but he died later at a hospital, AL.com reported.

Even as survey teams work to assess how many tornadoes struck and their severity, the Storm Prediction Center is warning of the potential for hail, wind and possibly a few tornadoes Sunday in parts of Mississippi and Louisiana.

Cornel Knight told The Associated Press that he, his wife and their 3-year-old daughter were at a relative’s home in Rolling Fork when the tornado struck. He said the sky was dark but “you could see the direction from every transformer that blew.”

He said the tornado struck another relative’s home across a wide cornfield from where he was. A wall in that home collapsed and trapped several people inside.

Royce Steed, the emergency manager in Humphreys County where Silver City is located, likened the damage to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“It is almost complete devastation,” he said after crews finished searching buildings and switched to damage assessments. “This little old town, I don’t know what the population is, it is more or less wiped off the map.”

In the town, the roof had torn off Noel Crook’s home, where he lives there with his wife.

“Yesterday was yesterday and that’s gone – there’s nothing I can do about it,” Crook said. “Tomorrow is not here yet. You don’t have any control over it, so here I am today.”

The tornado looked so powerful on radar as it neared the town of Amory, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Tupelo, that one Mississippi meteorologist paused to say a prayer after new radar information came in.

“Oh man,” WTVA’s Matt Laubhan said on the live broadcast. “Dear Jesus, please help them. Amen.”

Now that town is boiling its water, a curfew in effect.

More than a half-dozen shelters were opened in the state to house the displaced.

“It’s a priceless feeling to see the gratitude on people’s faces to know they’re getting a hot meal,” said William Trueblood, emergency disaster services director for the Salvation Army’s Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi Division, as he headed to the area, picking up supplies along the way.

He said they’re hearing at least 19,000 homes were impacted by the severe weather.

Still, there were signs of improvement. Power outages, which at one point were affecting more than 75,000 customers in Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama, had been cut by a third by midafternoon Saturday, according to poweroutage.us.

Meteorologists saw a big tornado risk coming for the general region as much as a week in advance, said Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Walker Ashley.

Tornado experts like Ashley have been warning about increased risk exposure in the region because of people building more.

“You mix a particularly socioeconomically vulnerable landscape with a fast-moving, long-track nocturnal tornado, and, disaster will happen,” Ashley said in an email.

___

Associated Press writer Emily Wagster Pettus in Rolling Fork, Mississippi; Michael Goldberg in Silver City, Mississippi; Jim Salter in O’Fallon, Missouri; Rick Callahan in Indianapolis; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington; Robert Jablon in Los Angeles; Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland; and Jackie Quinn in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register