“There is so much debris in the area,” said Greg Flynn of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. “So many people have big hearts, but we want to keep everyone safe as well. We’re in the process of assessing damages and can make better use of volunteers once we know what we’re dealing with.”

Saturday’s deadly twister barrelled into Mississippi from Louisiana, crossing about 100 miles and packing speeds of about 160 mph in Yazoo City and in Holmes County, according to the National Weather Service.

Authorities in Mississippi have confirmed 10 dead, 49 injured and about 700 homes damaged or destroyed.

Officials say they’ve used lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina to coordinate disaster relief. After Katrina, hundreds of volunteers with no point of contact came to the Coast to help. A lot of donated clothing was sent elsewhere. There was no place for storage.

“We saw the need to line up volunteers for the spots where they can help the best,” said Flynn.

Joy Smith of the MCVS said many who have called to volunteer are Coast survivors of Katrina.

“The majority of our calls have been from the 228 area code,” Smith said. “It is so heartwarming. One man said he’s ready to come with his tools. A little old lady from Pascagoula, who lost all she owned in Katrina, said she can’t travel far but she wants to give something back.”