RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — At least 25 people are dead, four are missing and dozens more are injured after powerful tornadoes tore through the state of Mississippi over the weekend. 

Jonathan McNamara, the communications director for the Red Cross of Virginia, spoke with 8News about how the non-profit is coming to the aid of those in distress in the state, as recovery efforts are heavily underway. 

McNamara said the Red Cross already has over 100 disaster responders in Mississippi assisting those residents who need immediate assistance after those deadly tornadoes. He also said more volunteers are on the way, possibly from Virginia.  

The tornados were first reported at around 8:50 p.m. on March 24 about 60 miles northeast of the capital city of Jackson, according to ABC. The rural towns of Silver City and Rolling Fork suffered the heaviest damage.   

McNamara said the Richmond Red Cross is no stranger to responding to these types of disasters.  

“From the Red Cross perspective here in Virginia we know from previous experience you could see dozens of Red Cross volunteers from the Richmond area and across the commonwealth they go down for about a 2–3-week deployment.”  

Meteorology experts say this was a supercell, the type of storm system that brews the deadliest tornadoes. McNamara said that a number of assets are already on the ground to assist those who have been impacted. 

“Response will really focus on sheltering, on providing hot meals, emotional and spiritual care as these people are dealing with a really traumatic situation,” he said. “There’s unfortunately been a significant loss of life in this event.”  

The recovery efforts in Mississippi were already underway as the National Weather Service warned of a new risk of more severe weather possibly happening Sunday — including high winds, large hail and maybe even tornadoes in the surrounding states. 

“Really this is going to be weeks and possibly months as we start to make this community whole again as they start the recovery process,” McNamara told 8News.

As response and recovery efforts are underway, McNamara said that there is a need for different types of volunteers moving forward.   

“So, we really try to be comprehensive in our response so that will require different types of volunteers,” he said. “The types of volunteers we may need today maybe look different than the volunteers we need in the coming weeks.”  

McNamara said the Red Cross will be on the ground in Mississippi for as long as the recovery process takes. Click here to find out how you can volunteer.