But researchers say that in recent years tornadoes seem to be occurring in greater “clusters,” and that a so-called tornado alley in the Great Plains - where most tornadoes occur - appears to be shifting eastward.Īt least six states - Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee - were hit by tornadoes on Friday night, according to reports from the National Weather Service. Scientists are not sure whether there is a link between climate change and the frequency or strength of tornadoes, in part because of limited data. “Probably the most remarkable thing is that there’s not a greater loss of life,” Mr.

“I didn’t think it would ever end.”Ī person was also killed at a Dollar General store in nearby Leachville, Ark., Gov. Mandi Sanders, who works at the home, said staff members helped residents cover their heads with pillows to protect them from flying glass and debris before the walls caved in and parts of the roof collapsed. In Arkansas, a 94-year-old died and five people were injured when a tornado demolished the Monette Manor nursing home, said Monette’s mayor, Bob Blankenship. “The federal government is not going to walk away.” “We’re going to get through this, and we’re going to get through this together,” Mr. President Biden said that he had approved an emergency declaration for Kentucky, allowing federal resources to flow into the state. “We need your prayers,” he said, voice wavering at a news conference on Saturday. Jesse Perry, the judge executive in Graves County, which includes Mayfield, said local officials were “in the trenches, trying to find people.”

In Mayfield, among the hardest-hit communities, the center of town had become a perilous maze of downed utility lines, dangling tree limbs and scattered debris. The storms - dark and immense funnel clouds that roared across the nighttime landscape - obliterated homes, churches and businesses, set buildings on fire and knocked a train with 28 empty rail cars from its tracks, leaving unearthly scenes of destruction.

Maps: Where the Tornadoes Struck, Destroying Buildings and Homesĭozens of people were killed as tornadoes swept across at least six states Friday night and early Saturday morning. Officials said that at least six people had been killed at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois, four had died in Tennessee and two had died in Arkansas. “The level of devastation is unlike anything I have ever seen.” “This has been the most devastating tornado event in our state’s history,” Mr. At a news briefing on Saturday, shaken local officials said they were struggling to comb through the debris amid blocked roads and lost water and electrical service. Beshear said he believed “dozens” had been killed there. In Mayfield, Ky., about 110 people had huddled inside a candle-making factory when a tornado ripped through it. The state was hit by four tornadoes, he said, including one that stayed on the ground for more than 200 miles. Andy Beshear of Kentucky said that at least 70 had been killed, and the state’s death toll could increase to more than 100. William DeShazer for The New York Timesĭozens of people were feared dead, and communities across the Midwest and South were digging through rubble on Saturday after a string of unseasonably powerful storms and tornadoes swept across six states overnight.

Residents survey the damage after a tornado ripped through Mayfield, Ky. What to know about the deadly tornado outbreak. In Tennessee, a woman was pinned under her mobile home.įorecasters predict more inclement weather over the weekend. One person is killed and two are injured in a Missouri town near St. Storms kill at least 4 in Tennessee as winds exceed 80 miles per hour. ‘We need your prayers.’ Residents begin digging out and assessing the toll from tornadoes.Īt least 70 are dead in Kentucky, in ‘the most devastating tornado event’ in state history.Īt least six people died after an Amazon warehouse in Illinois took a direct hit. Officials said there were at least 70 deaths in Kentucky, where many had been trapped inside a flattened candle factory, and there were six fatalities in a roof collapse at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois after severe weather ravaged the country on Friday. William DeShazer for The New York Timesįollow our live coverage of the deadly tornado outbreak. The footage shows the aftermath of the deadly tornado in Mayfield, Ky.

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