US president Biden to visit Mississippi town devastated by tornado

The ravaging tornado last Friday left a trail of havoc more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) long across the state with ferocious winds of up to 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour.

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will visit Rolling Fork, Mississippi on March 31, a week after it was devastated by a tornado that ripped through the southern state, killing at least 25 people.

Family members of Silver City, Miss., resident Mary Kitchen, carry out salvageable items from her home, Tuesday. (AP)

"The President and the First Lady will visit with first responders, state and local officials, and communities impacted by the devastation from recent storms, survey recovery efforts, and reaffirm their commitment to supporting the people of Mississippi as long as it takes," the White House said in a statement.

The National Weather Service gave the tornado last Friday -- which left a trail of havoc more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) long across the state -- a rating of four out of five on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with ferocious winds of up to 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour.

In a matter of seconds, Rolling Fork -- a town of about 2,000 people -- saw homes shredded, buildings flattened and cars smashed.

Biden on Sunday approved a federal disaster declaration for Mississippi, freeing up aid to help the state recover.

Mississippi's Republican Governor Tate Reeves thanked Biden on Twitter “for recognizing the scale of the damage in Mississippi and quickly approving our disaster declaration -- a critical step in disaster response.”