Extreme weather has wreaked havoc in several cities, leaving some neighborhoods in ruins
Devastating storms inflicted major damage in several US states on Friday evening, with reports of several deaths in the South and Midwest. A “a large number of victims” The incident was declared after powerful gusts caused the roof of a concert hall in Belvidere, Illinois to collapse, according to local officials.
The collapse occurred during a concert at the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, located about 70 miles northwest of Chicago, amid high winds from a severe thunderstorm. One person died at the scene, while 28 others were injured, city officials said.
A photo of the building posted by another outlet showed debris strewn in front of the venue and a fallen Marquess, while footage shared online showed the scene inside the theater, where a large pile of rubble could be seen. Panicked participants were also shown in the video, some helping to dig through the wreckage to search for survivors.
?#RUPTURE: Mass casualty event declared after roof collapse at Apollo theater during concert⁰?#Belvidere | #Illinois⁰Currently many firefighters and emergency crews are on the scene after a roof collapsed at the Apollo Theater during a concert after a powerful storm… pic.twitter.com/mDisCjX3VQ
– RAWSALERTS (@rawsalerts) 1 avril 2023
Officials have confirmed that ” several “ people were trapped under the debris amid rescue efforts, according to the Country Herald, a central Illinois-based news agency. The outlet added that 20 ambulances were deployed to the Apollo to treat the injured, while Belvidere firefighters called on nearby districts to send help.
The roof collapse came as a cluster of severe storms battered the Midwest and southern United States on Friday night, with Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declaring a state of emergency after that tornadoes ravaged several towns in the region. At least three people have been reported dead in Arkansas, in addition to more than 40 injured.
Footage captured in Little Rock showed a massive tornado as it moved through the city, flipping vehicles and destroying buildings in its path. A local medical center said he was operating in a “Mass casualty level” according to CBS.
Severe weather conditions also caused damage in other states. Hundreds of residents in the small town of Charlotte, Iowa have been evacuated following a gas leak caused by the storms, while the town of Covington, Tennessee has been ruled “impassable” by local police, who shared photos of roads clogged with debris.
From Lisa Denson: “This is my nephew-in-law, Kevin Golden and his father, Phil Golden, in Jacksonville, Arkansas, earlier tonight in the tornado. » pic.twitter.com/v3qAmR9QmZ
—James Spann (@spann) 31 mars 2023
More than 250 severe thunderstorms were reported across the United States by the National Weather Service on Friday alone, along with 120 tornado warnings, dozens of them issued moments apart. A tornado watch was also posted for Rolling Fork, Mississippi, which was ravaged by a deadly tornado last weekend, killing 13 and killing much of the city. ” gone, “ in the words of its mayor.
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