(CNN) -- Mississippi's governor declared a state of emergency Thursday for 12 counties after a severe weather system moved across the southern half of the state overnight Wednesday and Thursday.
The storms, which included two tornadoes, damaged at least 108 homes.
The storms -- which included two confirmed tornadoes -- damaged 108 homes and injured 24 people, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Operations Center.
Simpson County, about 40 miles southeast of Jackson, was hit the worst, it said.
A tornado touched down in the county about 4 a.m. Thursday, said Katherine Gunby, spokeswoman for the Emergency Management Agency.
Sixty homes were damaged and 20 people were injured in the county, the agency said. Seventeen people were treated in local hospitals and three were transported to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, it said. Condition reports were not immediately available.
Another tornado was reported in Lauderdale County, in eastern Mississippi, where one business was destroyed and 11 homes and a business were damaged, according to the agency.
The state of emergency declared by Gov. Haley Barbour "will allow state resources to be used throughout the affected areas to assist local governments as they respond to this disaster," said Mike Womack, director of the Emergency Management Agency, in a written statement.
Damage to homes also was reported in Jasper, Jones and Lawrence counties, and power lines and trees were down in Adams, Amite, Lincoln and Madison counties, the agency said. Three injuries were reported in Jones County and one in Jasper County, it said. It gave no further details.
The tornadoes destroyed Corinth Baptist Church in Simpson County, leaving only its doors standing.
"The church means so much to this community," Pastor Jay Westbrooks told CNN affiliate WAPT.
"We're going to survive. The building is destroyed, but the church is alive," he said. "We're going to come back and rebuild. The weather's not going to stop us."
The Mississippi Department of Transportation and utility companies are working to restore power to the state, Gunby said.
While the state of emergency is currently only for nine counties, it will be extended to any future counties that report damage, the Emergency Management Agency said.
All About Tornadoes • Mississippi
Residents in Mississippi awoke to scenes of destruction after two tornadoes touched down before sunrise near the town of Magee and in a rural area of Lauderdale County, around 90 miles east of Jackson. 

Dozens of homes and a church were demolished, and at least 20 people injured near Magee. Mayor Jimmy Clyde in an interview on NBC's ''Today'' show commented that the town was in "dire straits." 

The town is currently without power, and most roads heading into and out of town have been made impassable by debris. No deaths have been reported so far.

Eleven homes and businesses were damaged by the tornado in Lauderdale County, near the Alabama border. In Magee, the only thing left standing at the 100-year-old Corinth Baptist church are its doors. "Our church is still here, because our church is the people, but the building is gone," said a parishioner. 

Two people had to be airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. 

Mississippi Department of Transportation workers are laboring to restore power and other utilities to the affected areas. 

Due to the time of a day, many people were caught off guard and were forced to scramble to safety. One resident tearfully summarized the night's events: "I lost everything."