Sunday April 02, 2023 | 6:53 p.m.
Several areas of the Midwest and South of the United States were devastated by strong tornadoes that caused at least 29 deaths, thousands of homes destroyed, blackouts and damage, reported EFE.
The number of total victims is unknown. Emergency services fear the number will rise in the coming hours as rescuers search house to house.
Local authorities confirmed the deaths of 12 people in Tennessee, five in Arkansas, five in Indiana, four in Illinois, one in Alabama, one in Delaware and one in Mississippi. In the latter state in the south of the country, a similar phenomenon killed 26 people last week.
The strong storms spawned multiple tornadoes, some of exceptional size and power, specialists said.
Tornadoes caused devastation in several North American states
Tornadoes hit the Midwest and South parts of the country Friday night. In their wake they caused a gruesome scene, with trees and electric poles uprooted from the ground, houses destroyed, cars overturned and rubble everywhere, according to images released by local TV channels.
One of the hardest hit cities was Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas. There, at least 2,600 homes were damaged, according to a statement from the municipality.
The governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, mobilized 100 members of the National Guard reservist corps and declared a state of emergency to put state resources at the service of the search efforts. In addition, she asked President Joe Biden to declare Arkansas a disaster area to access federal government resources.
The governors of Indiana and Kentucky, Eric Holcomb and Andy Beshear, respectively, also declared a state of emergency in their territories.
Absolute chaos in Illinois
In northern Illinois, the tornadoes left a scene of “absolute chaos,” Belvidere Police Chief Shane Woody was quoted as saying by the Chicago Tribune.
The tornadoes caused the partial collapse of the roof of a theater where 260 people were attending a heavy metal concert. The collapse of the roof caused at least one death and 28 injuries, according to the local fire department.
More than 650,000 homes were without power in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia, AFP reported.
“I could feel the whole house shaking,” said Janice Pieterick of Lewis County. “We all snuggle,” she confessed.
Forecasters expect new storms Tuesday in parts of Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, among other southern and Midwestern states. Tornadoes hit the area after Biden visited the Mississippi town of Rolling Fork on Friday, devastated last week when a series of strong tornadoes swept through the region.
🇺🇸 | Some before and after image comparisons of tornado damage in West Little Rock, Arkansas.
18 people have died in the last hours due to tornadoes in the United States. pic.twitter.com/RYWopVx0J7
– Latest News (@UltimaHoraNo) April 1, 2023
