Survivors of Mississippi tornadoes crawled under furniture and held onto their kids

BOGUE CHITTO, Miss. (AP) — Anunciata Schwebel could only watch in horror on FaceTime while her friend and tenant slunk into a bathtub to take cover from one of several tornadoes that slammed into Mississippi just after sunset Wednesday.

Her friend screamed that the windows were breaking. Schwebel could see on her screen the devastation to the cluster of cottages she owned in the town of Purvis — walls and roofs ripped away, her tenants huddled in their bathrooms.

“We could see a line of people sitting in their tubs,” Schwebel said Thursday. “We thought people were dead.”

Yet, for a second time in less than a month, a big burst of tornadoes caused no deaths. Authorities estimated that 500 homes were damaged across five counties Wednesday and said at least 17 people were injured. The powerful storms spawned at least three tornadoes across the bottom half of Mississippi that could be seen on weather radar, meteorologists said, possibly more.

Survivors told stories of crawling under furniture while winds tore off the roof and of hiding in a closet, holding on to a child. At Coaltown Baptist Church in Purvis, members hunkered down in a hallway, singing and praying until the storm passed.

A dozen people were hurt at a trailer park in the small community of Bogue Chitto, in rural Lincoln County, said Scott Simmons, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

Most of the two dozen homes were flattened into heaps of splintered boards and twisted metal. People picked through the debris Thursday morning under cloudy skies as a chain saw buzzed in the background.

Krystal Miller and six others — including babies as young as 4 weeks old — grabbed a Bible and sheltered in their hallway when the tornado sent their home cartwheeling through the air.

“We just flipped, and it threw us all out,” she said. “It scattered everybody out. ... I can’t find the Bible.”

Her young son was in the hospital for monitoring and another child was injured in the face, she said.

“The trailer is in pieces but we made it out,” Miller said. “I'm feeling grateful.”

Max Mahaffey was with his 59-year-old grandmother and watching TikTok videos on his phone when they realized the tornado was bearing down. They ran to the bathroom, but when the roof was torn off, they crawled to the living room and hid under a couch, he said.

“You heard screaming, glass breaking, horns honking — everything,” said the 15-year-old.

Dmell Burnes didn't realize his home was in the tornado’s path until seconds before it struck. The house shook as he covered his 11-year-old daughter in his arms, but the frame inside the closet where they protected themselves held even as the home’s walls and roof came apart.

“It was one of the most scariest moments of my life. Me and my daughter were praying,” Burnes said while standing on what was left from his trailer. “We’re just grateful to be alive.”

Residents dug out jackets, school backpacks, Bibles and a watch — whatever was salvageable.

A storm chaser walking through the debris early Thursday heard a meow but feared the worst when the cries stopped after a few minutes of searching. But after picking through insulation, Ashton Lemley found a tiny kitten, hiding between two wooden posts.

“I’ve been in these situations so many times,” he said. “I don’t try to get overly emotional. But it is very heartbreaking to see any type of animal or human go through something like that.”

National Weather Service meteorologist Daniel Lamb said at least three tornadoes caused significant damage. Investigators plan to survey other areas to determine if more touched down.

“Pray for Mississippi,” Gov. Tate Reeves posted online, saying the state Emergency Management Agency was coordinating response efforts.

Debris from the storms closed Interstate 55 and many other roads in Lincoln County. The governor said a volunteer rescue group was providing a 50-person shelter and supplies to the county, which reported at least 200 damaged homes.

Lamar County to the southeast reported about 275 homes damaged, according to the Emergency Management Agency.

Alisha Marbury was teary eyed as she surveyed the wreckage in Bogue Chitto. Still, she counted her community blessed since it appeared no one had died. Many of the people she knew at the trailer park had been away at work, she said.

“God spared us,” Marbury added. “Houses and homes and cars and stuff are replaceable, but your life ain’t.”

Rico reported from Atlanta and McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed.

People walk among debris at Gene's Mobile Home Supply, a trailer park in Bogue Chitto, Miss., Thursday, May, 7, 2026, after a tornado cut across the state. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Logan Branch eats a hotdog as he sits among the debris of what is left of his home at Gene's Mobile Home Supply, a trailer park in Bogue Chitto, Miss., Thursday, May, 7, 2026, after a tornado cut across the state. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A person stands among debris at Gene's Mobile Home Supply, a trailer park in Bogue Chitto, Miss., Thursday, May, 7, 2026, after a tornado cut across the state. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

People stand among debris at Gene's Mobile Home Supply, a trailer park in Bogue Chitto, Miss., Thursday, May, 7, 2026, after a tornado cut across the state. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Damage to Gene’s Mobile Home Supply, a trailer park in Bogue Chitto, Miss., is seen Thursday, May, 7, 2026, after a tornado cut across the state. (AP Photo/Jack Brook)

People stand among debris at Gene's Mobile Home Supply, a trailer park in Bogue Chitto, Miss., Thursday, May, 7, 2026, after a tornado cut across the state. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A doll and other items are seen amid the destruction at Gene’s Mobile Home Supply, a trailer park in Bogue Chitto, Miss., on Thursday, May 7, 2026, after a tornado cut across the state. (Matt WIlliamson/Enterprise-Journal via AP)

A man stands among debris at Gene's Mobile Home Supply, a trailer park in Bogue Chitto, Miss., Thursday, May, 7, 2026, after a tornado cut across the state. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

People stand among debris at Gene's Mobile Home Supply, a trailer park in Bogue Chitto, Miss., Thursday, May, 7, 2026, after a tornado cut across the state. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

In this frame grab from video taken by WDAM, damaged trees and a house or structure following a storm that tore through part of Lamar County, Mississippi, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (WDAM via AP)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — From the moment Manchester United executives were made aware of Mauricio Pochettino’s availability, he stood alone — the only candidate as the troubled club set about hiring a new coach.

With results tanking and the 20-time English champion languishing in the Premier League relegation zone, something had to be done.

Who could revive the fortunes of the once dominant force after more than a decade of decline?

In the end it came down to a choice of one. Unfortunately for the U.S. men's national team, it was Pochettino.

On Friday, the Argentine was confirmed as United’s eighth manager or head coach since club great Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. He has signed a two and a half-year contract.

United's hierarchy had initially assumed Pochettino, like Aston Villa's Unai Emery, was out of reach.

Emery also has big admirers at United after transforming Villa from a relegation-threatened team to a serial Champions League challenger, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to protect relationships. But the Spaniard, under contract and without a release clause, was simply not an option.

The same was thought of Pochettino after he signed a four-year deal in August tying him to the U.S. team through the 2030 World Cup.

United knew him well. He had been a leading candidate for the job in 2022 when Erik ten Hag was ultimately hired. And he left a lasting impression as recently as the summer of 2024 when, under a new sporting leadership, United considered firing Ten Hag and spoke to a range of contenders, Pochettino included.

It was determined then — on both sides — that the timing wasn't right so soon after his brief spell in charge of Chelsea, the person said.

Now, with Pochettino re-energized by his experiences with the U.S., including a run to the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup, the timing is right.

“We recovered our capacity to dream big, the capacity to train players that really want to improve and really want to share good moments and players that really care about the federation and this country," Pochettino said in an emotional news conference at the U.S. team camp outside Atlanta.

United set about securing the former Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea coach once it was made aware of a break clause in his recently signed contract, with due diligence carried out before incumbent Michael Carrick was fired on Thursday.

Confident that Pochettino wanted to take on what has increasingly looked like an impossible job, it was a matter of informing the U.S. soccer federation of its intention to move for a coach, who did so much galvanize the nation during the World Cup. That formal approach came on Wednesday, the night before Carrick was relieved of his duties, the person said.

By that stage rumors had already been swirling around Pochettino and the odds on him to become United's eighth permanent coach or manager in 13 years had been slashed. He was the only candidate United spoke to directly, despite reported interest in Julian Nagelsmann, Eddie Howe and Antonio Conte.

The 54-year-old Argentine is “renowned for his high-intensity, attacking style of football, his dedication to building strong, cohesive teams and his outstanding record of developing individual players,” and had “consistently performed at the highest level of football across multiple leagues,” United said when announcing his appointment Friday.

There has been criticism of United's handling of the process, making Carrick wait until Thursday to learn his fate that had been long-trailed.

The delay had been due to various reasons. Firstly, no decision could be made until an internal review had been carried out. The person said Carrick had been kept informed about the process.

It wasn't until a meeting with minority owner Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Wednesday that chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox made the recommendation to change the coach and the decision was made. Berrada and Wilcox returned to Manchester on Wednesday night and rather than inform Carrick by phone, chose to tell him face-to-face at a meeting at the club's training ground on Thursday morning, according to the person's description of events.

It is unlikely to have come as a surprise to Carrick, even if he was less than six months into a two-year contract.

He had overseen United's worst start for 40 years. With only one win in 10 games the 20-time English champion sits 18th in the standings, in the relegation zone.

Another person with knowledge of the decision-making process said the results were simply “not acceptable for Manchester United” and a change had to be made.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to do so publicly.

Pochettino, the person said, had the right a “philosophy, personality and skill set” that was the right fit for the role. His “outstanding record of individual talent development and history of building excellent team cultures” were also reasons behind his appointment.

His first game in charge will be against Liverpool on Nov. 22. He will be the latest in a long line of candidates charged with the responsibility of bringing the good times back to a club that for so long dominated English soccer.

United has not won the Premier League title since Ferguson's final season in 2013 and has been overtaken by rivals like Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Pochettino, who won the French title with PSG and turned Tottenham into a Premier League title challenger, had an underwhelming experience when last in England for one season with Chelsea in 2023-24.

Chelsea ended sixth in the standings, missing out on Champions League qualification and beaten by Liverpool in the final of the English League Cup to leave Pochettino still without a major trophy in English soccer.

Both United and Pochettino will hope that, together, they can snap that streak.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

FILE - United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino listens to a question during a press conference ahead of his FIFA World Cup match against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File)

U.S. Men's National Soccer Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino walks on the pitch during practice, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, in Fayetteville, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

FILE - United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino gestures as he walks off the pitch after United States defeated Bosnia in the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

FILE - United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino celebrates with his players following the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

FILE - United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino looks on during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Belgium in Seattle, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)