Officials reported on Saturday that the death toll from a severe storm system that swept through the south-central and eastern regions of the United States, causing powerful tornadoes and devastating winds, has now risen to 21, with many others injured. In addition to these fatalities, another 14 deaths have been reported in various states, including Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Indiana, and Illinois.
The storm system was still moving towards the US east coast on Saturday, with thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds expected until late Sunday. On Friday, the storm generated multiple tornadoes that swept through Arkansas, including the state capital of Little Rock, where at least five people were killed, according to the governor.
Daylight revealed significant damage, with homes destroyed, cars overturned, power lines down, and trees uprooted. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard to assist with recovery efforts. She stated that she had spoken with President Joe Biden, who pledged to expedite federal aid.
The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for several other states, from Iowa in the north to Mississippi in the south, where a tornado had already killed 25 people and caused widespread property damage the previous week. Severe weather caused the roof and part of the facade of the Apollo Theater in the town of Belvidere, Illinois, just outside Chicago, to collapse while a heavy-metal band played on stage inside.
Overnight tornadoes also claimed one life in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, and one in Madison County, Alabama. According to the website poweroutage.us, more than 610,000 homes were without power on Saturday. As the storm system continued to move northeastward, the highest number of outages on Saturday afternoon was reported in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Several mid-Atlantic states were under high wind warnings. Last Friday, President Biden visited Rolling Fork, Mississippi, one of the areas hit hardest by last week's tornado. In December 2021, tornadoes killed around 80 people in Kentucky.
