Tornado series in the USA: numerous deaths, devastated places

A series of tornadoes have wreaked havoc in several US states. At least 26 people lost their lives and entire towns were destroyed. A storm center was again predicted for the region on Tuesday.

A monstrous storm system in the southern and midwestern United States has unleashed a series of tornadoes that have wreaked havoc. At least 26 people were killed and dozens injured.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared her state a state of emergency. She asked US President Joe Biden for federal help. Among other things, the Arkansas capital, Little Rock, was affected, where, according to the mayor, more than 2,600 residential and commercial buildings were in the path of a tornado. At least one person died and dozens were injured in the Little Rock area. The town of Wynne in northeastern Arkansas was also devastated. Four people died here.

Nine deaths have been confirmed in Tennessee. Homes and shopping malls were destroyed, vehicles overturned and trees were uprooted. The states of Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi and Ohio were also affected.

In Illinois, in the small town of Belvidere, west of Chicago, the roof and part of the facade of the concert building collapsed during a heavy metal concert on Friday evening. According to the fire department, one person died and 28 others were injured, five of them seriously.

Seven people were killed in the McNairy County of Tennessee, east of Memphis. Above all, houses and residential areas suffered damage, said Adamsville Mayor David Leckner. In Sullivan County, Indiana, the storm killed three and injured 12, according to Mayor Clint Lamb.

Authorities in nearby Crawford County later confirmed four more dead across the state line in Illinois. According to the emergency services, a woman was killed and three other people were seriously injured in Madison County, Alabama. In Pontotoc County, Mississippi, authorities confirmed one dead and four injured.

More thunderstorms and storms forecast

Tornadoes are difficult to predict. They are relatively common in the United States, especially in the center and south of the country. Thunderstorms, hailstorms and strong winds were also forecast for Sunday on the US east coast.

The National Weather Service’s storm center said such “intense supercell thunderstorms” are likely to become more frequent, particularly in the southern United States, “while world temperatures are rising.” The next major storm center was already predicted for next Tuesday for the same area.