The death toll rose to 18 on Saturday after tornadoes and powerful storms tore through the South and Midwest that began Friday, and residents picked up the pieces as severe weather loomed.
Power outages in the US has grown to over 900,000 customers Saturday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us, Bad weather moved into the Northeast and parts of the Midwest and South recovered from Friday’s destruction. Dozens of tornadoes were reported across Arkansas, Iowa, Tennessee, Illinois, Wisconsin and Mississippi. According to National Weather Service data.
More than 28 million people It was under a hurricane watch at one point Friday, with the National Weather Service issuing a rare “high risk” outlook for severe storms in some areas.
Photos show the destruction:Shredded houses, littered streets, overturned cars
Reports of damage and destruction are spreading across several states
Reports of deaths, injuries and damage spread across several states:
- Alabama: Roads were closed due to downed trees and power poles in the storm. According to WAFF-TV.
- Indiana: Heavy storms destroy homes in Sullivan County, Indiana Demolishing entire neighborhoods, and some residents were missing in the Sullivan County seat, about 95 miles southwest of Indianapolis. Sullivan County Commissioners Signed the Emergency Declaration Saturday morning.
- Mississippi: One person died and four others were injured in Pontotac County in northern Mississippi. Officials said.Photos were shown Trees were snapped, roads were blocked and homes damaged, and Officials said Telephone lines were temporarily down on Saturday morning. It comes as President Joe Biden on Friday visited storm-ravaged Rolling Fork, Mississippi, where the March 24 storm killed at least 21 people.
- Tennessee: Five freight train coaches overturned Marshall County, Tennessee. Dozens of houses were destroyed Or two people were rescued from a damaged and collapsed home in central Tennessee, authorities said.
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma City was also hit with gusts of up to 54 mph. Flames of many flames This led to widespread exodus.
- Iowa: Multiple potential hurricanes Found throughout Iowa Storms with hail and strong winds lashed the eastern part of the state.
Friday Weather Review:A ‘great and destructive tornado’ struck near Little Rock; Tornado emergency in Arkansas
Seven people died in McNairy County, Tennessee
Seven people died in south Tennessee’s McNairy County, said David Lechner, mayor of Adamsville, Tennessee. Most of the damage was done to homes and residential areas, and first responders went door-to-door Saturday to make sure everyone was accounted for, Lechner said.
Adamsville Police Department He said it helps to clean.
“The damage and loss our community suffered last night was devastating.” The police department said in a Facebook statement. “We extend our condolences to all those affected by this event, not only in our community, but throughout the region.”
In Lewis County, Tennessee, Melissa Keller ran to her bathroom to hide from the storm in the community where she has lived with her family for nearly 50 years. His house was standing on Saturday, but his sister’s house was destroyed, he said.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Keller said.
‘Chaos, absolute chaos’: Illinois theater roof collapses during concert
A theater roof collapsed Friday evening in Belvidere, Illinois, about 70 miles northwest of Chicago, killing one person and injuring 28 others amid severe storms.
About 260 people were attending a heavy metal concert at the Apollo Theater when the storm hit, Belvidere Fire Chief Shawn Schadle said.
“Chaos, absolute chaos,” Belvidere Police Chief Shane Woody described the scene.
Security personnel urged concertgoers to take shelter in the basement People scrambled to pull people from the rubble when parts of the roof gave way.
“I won’t go to the basement. There are many more injured,” concertgoer Hasif Nees said. “I’ve got to get people out. Time’s up. People can die. They can suffocate in there.”
Elsewhere in central Illinois, causing significant property damage and downed power lines in several communities. A stable was damaged in Sangamon County, and 32 horses were unaccounted for.
Jack Ealy of Sherman, Illinois rode out the storm on the floor of his pickup truck parked in his garage. He said his house was uninhabitable and the back of his garage was torn up.
“Last night, we were lucky to be alive,” he said. “Now, we’re trying to figure out what to do.”
Little Rock, North Arkansas was hit by the tornado
A tornado struck the Little Rock area, killing at least one person and injuring more than two dozen people, some critically, officials said.
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott told The Associated Press that 2,100 homes and businesses were in the path of the tornado, but there was no estimate yet of how many were damaged. Earlier AP reported that several homes were damaged or destroyed.
In addition, four people died in Wynne, northeast Arkansas, which sustained heavy damage and left people trapped in the rubble. Officials at Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock told KATV that 21 people were checked in with injuries from the tornado, including five in critical condition.
“It’s heartbreaking to see Wynne destroyed like that.” St. Francis County Coroner Miles J. Kimble said, assistant to the Cross County Coroner. “The schools, the grieving families, the people who are trapped, the first responders working, it’s so hard in my heart to see their community.”
Heidi Jenkins, a salon owner in Wynne, surveyed the damage Saturday: roofs were shredded, fallen trees, toys to scattered furniture strewn across lawns.
“Our school is gone; my church is gone,” she said. “I feel sorry for all the people who lost their homes.”
The Little Rock tornado first passed through the west side of the city before moving north, demolishing a shopping center and causing widespread damage.
Little Rock resident Nicky Scott was hiding in the bathroom when she heard the glass break. When she came out, she saw that her house was one of the few houses on her street without a single tree.
“It’s like everyone says. It was really quiet and then it was really loud,” Scott said.
Severe weather is in the forecast
If you want to draw a textbook severe weather configuration, “this is definitely it,” he said. Between drier conditions in the west and warmer, wetter conditions in the east, he expects “a pretty broad swath of real estate” to be at risk Tuesday afternoon and evening.
read more:America’s worst hurricane season is getting worse: Here’s what to know.
Severe Weather:America’s worst hurricane season is getting worse: Here’s what to know.
Cyclone Season:The National Hurricane Center issued a 2-day outlook. In 2023, it is projected to be 7 days out.
US Weather Watch and Warnings
National Weather Radar
Contributed by: Tima Amro and Lucas Finton, Memphis Business Appeal; Associated Press
