ROLLING FORK, Miss. (WJTV) – Leaders with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Jackson said the March 24 tornado that hit Rolling Fork and Silver City is the deadliest in the area in more than 50 years.

NWS leaders said the EF4 tornado killed 16 people in Rolling Fork and Silver City.

The last violent tornado tracked through the Delta on February 21, 1971. That tornado also ran from Issaquena County to Sharkey County. NWS leaders said 58 lives were lost in communities like Cary, Gooden Lake, Swiftown, Morgan City and Money.

These statistics are based on the current NWS Jackson forecast area.

For the state of Mississippi, the March 24 tornado was the deadliest since the Smithville tornado that touched ground on April 27, 2011. That tornado killed 23 people.