21 deaths; power outage updates

The death toll rose to 21 people on Saturday after confirmed or suspected tornadoes in at least eight states tore through the South and Midwest, leaving residents picking up the pieces as more severe weather loomed.

Power outages in the United States reached more than 900,000 customers Saturday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us, as bad weather moved northeast and swaths of the Midwest and South recovered from the destruction that began on Friday.

The storms left a path of destruction in states such as Arkansas, Alabama, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Iowa.

Meanwhile, the Ohio Valley, Northeast and Mid Atlantic braced for high winds and heavy thunderstorms, the National Weather Service predicted. Isolated hail, scattered wind gusts up to 70 mph and a few tornadoes are possible as severe thunderstorm watches have been issued for parts of Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York, according to AccuWeather.

PHOTOS SHOW DESTRUCTION:Shredded houses, streets filled with debris, overturned cars

FRIDAY WEATHER SUMMARY:‘Large destructive tornado’ hits near Little Rock; Arkansas tornado emergency

Seven dead in McNairy County, Tennessee

Seven people died in McNairy County, southern Tennessee, said David Leckner, mayor of Adamsville, Tennessee. Most of the damage was to homes and residential areas, and first responders went door to door Saturday to make sure everyone was taken care of, Leckner said.

In Lewis County, Tennessee, Melissa Keller ran to her bathroom to hide from the storm in the community where she has lived with her family for nearly 50 years. Her house was still standing on Saturday, but her sister’s house was destroyed, she said.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Keller said.

‘Absolute chaos’: Illinois theater roof collapses during concert

A theater roof collapsed Friday night in Belvidere, Illinois, about 70 miles northwest of Chicago, amid a severe storm, killing one person and injuring 28.

About 260 people were attending a heavy metal concert at the Apollo Theater when the storm hit, Belvidere Fire Department Chief Shawn Schadle said.

“Chaos, absolute chaos,” Belvidere Police Chief Shane Woody said as he described the scene.

As security personnel urged spectators to take shelter in the basement, many rushed to pull people from the rubble when parts of the roof gave way.

“I was like, I’m not going to the basement. There are still injured people,” said spectator Hasib Neaz. “I have to get people out. Time is running out. People could die. They could suffocate in there.”

Elsewhere in central Illinois, many communities suffered significant property damage and downed power lines. A stable in Sangamon County was damaged and 32 horses were missing.

Jack Ealey of Sherman, Illinois weathered the storm on the floor of his pickup truck, which was parked in his garage. He said his house was uninhabitable and the back of his garage had been ripped out.

“Last night we were lucky to be alive,” he said. “Now we are trying to figure out what to do.”

Little Rock, northern Arkansas hit by tornadoes

A tornado that moved through west Little Rock killed at least one person and injured more than two dozen others, officials said. It demolished a mall before heading north and leaving massive damage in its wake.

The Associated Press reports that Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott said 2,100 homes and businesses were in the tornado’s path before an official damage assessment, but no assessment has yet been made on how many. of damaged people. Earlier, AP reported that a number of homes were damaged or destroyed.

Storm chaser Brian Emfinger documented tornado damage in and around Little Rock. His drone footage captured houses and buildings reduced to piles of wood and rubble.

As a native of Arkansas and a former resident of Little Rock, he knew the area well. Even with the “enormous amount” of devastation he witnessed, it was hard to see, he said.

“It’s the first time (it’s) a place where I’ve actually lived, eaten at restaurants and visited,” Emfinger told USA TODAY. “I worked for some of the places that were affected.”

He saw shaking vehicles, people helping injured people and neighbors controlling each other. The tornado – rare in recent years for Little Rock – triggered gas leaks and knocked down power lines.

Little Rock resident Niki Scott heard glass shattering while hiding in a bathroom. She emerged to find her house was one of the few on her street without a tree.

“It’s like everyone says. It got really quiet, then it got really loud,” Scott said.

Four people also died in Wynne. The northeast Arkansas town suffered heavy damage that left people trapped in the debris.

Severe weather still expected

A pattern similar to recent storms is expected to unfold on Tuesday, amplified by even greater heat and humidity, raising the risk of severe weather, Victor Gensini, an associate professor at Northern Illinois University, told USA TODAY.

If you wanted to draw an extreme weather pattern, “it would definitely be this one,” he said. Between dry conditions in the west and hot, humid conditions in the east, he expects to see a “fairly large area of ​​real estate” at risk Tuesday afternoon and evening.

LEARN MORE:Bad tornado season in the United States is getting worse: here’s what you need to know.

SEVERE WEATHER:Bad tornado season in the United States is getting worse: here’s what you need to know.

HURRICANE SEASON:The National Hurricane Center used to give a 2 day outlook. In 2023, he will plan 7 days of absence.

United States Weather Watch and Warnings National Weather Radar

Contributors: Dima Amro and Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal; Jeff Kolkey, star of the Rockford Register; The Associated Press; The USA TODAY Network

Not all news on the site expresses the point of view of the site, but we transmit this news automatically and translate it through programmatic technology on the site and not from a human editor.

goadnews

Victoriafox