According to officials and several media reports, a thunderstorm with strong winds and rains headed toward east passed through Midwest and Southern states of United States on Saturday. At least 21 people lost their lives and multiple people suffered injuries.
National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center recorded at least 60 thunderstorms across several states resulted into loss of lives in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Alabama and Indian.
Storm wreaks havoc, claiming lives in US
In Arkansas, five people lost their lives, according to local officials. The thunderstorm passed through the state on Friday. On Saturday, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Governor of Arkansas said they have report confirmed five fatalities as of now. They have a couple of others that have been reported but do not have confirmation from local officials on the ground. It is still awaiting, the Governor further said.
Four out of five deaths were reported in Wynne which is 100 miles east of Little Rock, according to Cross County Coroner Eli. One death was reported and at least 50 people were admitted in hospital in North Little Rock, said Madeline Robert, Pulaski County spokesperson to news media.
In Illinois, four deaths were reported by the officials. According to the state Emergency Management Agency, three people were killed as residential building collapsed in Crawford County. One the 50-year-old died after roof at a theatre collapsed in northern Illinois city, Belvidere. 260 people were inside the theatre at that time. On Saturday, a senior emergency management official in Boone County said that 40 people were left injured in the incident.
In Indiana, officials reported three deaths. Matt Ames, Indiana State Police Sergeant said three people were killed in Sullivan County. Sheriff Jason Bobbitt said through social media that a state of emergency was declared for the areas affected.
In McNairy County, located at the Mississippi border, reported seven deaths due to weather. The Tennessee Department of Health confirmed it. According to Patrick Sheehan, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director, they have yet to determine the number of injured people and damaged infrastructures in several counties. In Alabama, 90-year-old Ovie Lasater was killed in Madison County, south of the Tennessee border, as her house was destroyed by the thunderstorm, county coroner Tyler Berryhill told to news media.
One death was reported by news media in Pontotoc County, Mississippi.
One person lost his life in Sussex County, Delaware, after multiple thunderstorms passed through the region on Saturday. It was reported by local news media.
On Saturday, The National Weather Service warned about thunderstorms will cause power cuts and fallen trees as moving across the states.
The White House said in a statement that the U.S President Joe Biden spoke with the mayors of Wynne and Little Rock and Huckabee Sanders. He also spoke with Deanne Criswell, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator.
Huckabee Sanders said at a news conference that they (Federal Government) have assured them anything that Arkansas needs those resources will be there and on the ground.
According to National Weather Service, each year around 100,000 thunderstorms occur in the United States. Only about 10 percent of them are classified as severe. The thunderstorm considers as severe when if wind speed is 58 mph or more, produces hail at least 3/4-inch in diameter or tornadoes.
Last week, a deadly tornado destroyed 400 homes in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, and killed 26 people.
With inputs from various news agencies.
