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.
In the Great Lakes, South and Southeast, dozens of residents were injured, 350,000 families There was no electricity on Saturday; and homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed, including several homes in Little Rock, Arkansas. 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
- Alabama: A woman was killed and three others injured in Madison County, Alabama. According to WAFF-TV.
- Indiana: A severe storm in Sullivan County, Indiana, left three dead, emergency management director Jim Birdle said early Saturday. The storm destroyed the houses, 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. 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, officials said.
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma City was also hit with gusts of up to 54 mph. Flames of many flames This led to widespread exodus.
- Iowa: At least nine possible tornadoes 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.”
‘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.”
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 said 2,100 homes and businesses were in the path of the tornado, but it was not yet estimated how many were damaged.
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 checked in there 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 saidAssistant 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.”
The Little Rock tornado first passed through the west side of the city before moving north, demolishing a shopping center and causing widespread damage. Photos were shown Torn fences, overturned cars, shredded roofs and a damaged high school.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an emergency declaration on Friday.
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.
What to expect this weekend
The same storm system that wreaked havoc on Friday will set its sights on New England and the Southeast coast, meteorologist Jake Sojda said. AccuWeather.
The highest threats will be in Pennsylvania and upstate New York and New England, with damaging winds and severe thunderstorms, he said.
Thunderstorms are expected in the Southeast, South Carolina and southern Georgia before the system moves out by Sunday.
“There’s a lot of wind energy,” Chojda said. “This storm is very strong. Saturday will look much smaller than Friday, but there may be a tornado.”
He said Sunday “looks like a relatively quiet day for most of the US.”
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
