- Tornadoes have hit several states in the United States.
- According to news agencies, at least ten people died in total.
- Dozens of people were injured as a result of the “monster storm system”, US media reports.
A total of around 50 hurricanes have been counted in seven states that, according to the media, can be classified as tornadoes. According to the weather service, the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Tennessee were particularly affected. Around half a million households were without electricity, at least temporarily, according to data from the “poweroutage.us” website.
In the small town of Belvidere, Illinois, the roof of a theater collapsed during a concert. At least one person was killed, according to the media. According to fire chief Shawn Schadle, five people were taken to the hospital with serious injuries, 18 with moderate injuries and five with minor injuries.
Chaos, absolute chaos.
At the time of the collapse, a storm was raging with gusts of up to 145 kilometers per hour. At the time of the collapse, 260 people were in the theater. Police Chief Shane Woody described the scene after the collapse as “chaos, absolute chaos.”
Hours earlier, a tornado had hit the town of Little Rock and surrounding area, Arkansas. Images from local television stations showed uprooted trees, overturned vehicles and torn roofs.
There was a death, the media report, citing the authorities. At least 50 people were taken to hospitals, a spokeswoman for the Pulaski district told CNN. Two more fatalities were reported from the village of Wynne, around 150 kilometers away.
Arkansas Governor and former White House Speaker Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and mobilized 100 members of the National Guard to help with rescue and clean-up efforts. Three people were also killed in a violent storm in Sullivan County, Indiana, the local emergency management director announced on Saturday.
Overcrowded emergency rooms
Arkansas hospitals reported overcrowded emergency rooms. “We’re working in the red and have our hands full,” said Aaron Gilkey, spokesman for the Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS). Aerial photos of Little Rock on The Weather Channel showed a devastated area with numerous roofless houses, collapsed walls and walls, and overturned vehicles.
Legend:
Aerial view of debris piles in the city of Rolling Fork, Mississippi.
REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File Photo
A tornado killed at least 26 people in the states of Mississippi and Alabama just a week ago. On Friday, US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill visited the small town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, which had been particularly hard hit by the storm. During the visit, the Bidens took in the destruction and met the city’s mayor and local residents.
You are not alone. The American people will stand by you.
“You are not alone,” said Biden amidst the rubble of destroyed houses and uprooted trees. “The American people will stand by you. It will help you get through here – and so will I.” The President announced Monday the opening of a local disaster center where affected residents could seek help.