As severe weather swept across the south Tuesday, Mississippi was hit hard as tornadoes killed four people in the state, The Weather Channel reported.

At least 50 other people were injured in the storm that created at least six tornadoes that destroyed homes in its path.

"Regardless of how many tornadoes touched down, Tuesday has become the deadliest December tornado event in Mississippi since 38 died in the Vicksburg tornado of Dec. 5, 1953," said Nick Wiltgen, weather.com senior meteorologist.

Wiltgen said that the last Mississippi tornado in December killed at least two people in 1967.

Gov. Phil Bryant issued a state of emergency Tuesday for the two counties hit the hardest, Marion and Jones counties. Other parts of the state affected by the weather storms were also issued a state of emergency.

Since the storm picked up around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, tornadoes destroyed businesses and toppled cars. A 71-year-old woman named Mary Jane Sartin was killed in Marion County in a trailer park. A 33-year-old, Amber Sumrall, was also killed in the storm at a strip mall.

Many businesses were blown away by the storm and an extensive cleanup was issued for Christmas Eve in Columbia.

"We were here, and when the sirens went off the second time, my mom said we needed to leave because she had a bad feeling, and we left," a business owner of a flower shop Melissa McKenzie said.

"I had my son with me about 10 minutes after we left. To have this happen -- this (store) was a dream of mine," she added.

The other two deaths were confirmed in Jones County, ABC News reported.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the four individuals who lost their lives today during the severe weather that pushed through the state," Gov. Bryant said in a statement.

All the businesses on the east side on the 98 Bypass in Columbia have been damaged.

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