At least 26 have been left dead and several people injured following storms and tornadoes that swept through the United States, with the death toll likely to increase over the next few days.
Over the last few days, a powerful storm system ripped through several states in the Southern and Midwestern parts of the US, causing widespread destruction and disruption. Because of its rapid intensification, the storm was called a “bomb cyclone,” and it brought heavy rain, high winds, and even snow to parts of the nation.
The storms caused widespread devastation in Arkansas, Alabama, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Iowa. According to the Washington Post, over 60 tornadoes were recorded.
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“Praying and saying goodbye to each other, because we thought we were dead. We could feel the house shaking, and we could hear loud noises, and dishes rattling. And then it just got calm,” Ashley Macmillan, a resident said.
Homes were also destroyed and thousands of people were left without electricity. The storm has caused millions of dollars in damage across the impacted states, and the total cost is expected to increase as the full extent of the damage is revealed. Schools were also affected and learning had to stop.
Lisa Worden, a Wynne High School teacher, said the choice to send students home early was critical. “We got out at 1:30, which was such a God blessing from our superintendent because otherwise kids would have been on busses and teachers would have still been here. And so that would have been even more devastating,” she told Reuters news agency.
On Friday, the state of Arkansas was placed under a state of emergency by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who also activated the national guard to assist with the recovery operations. She also said that she had a conversation with President Joe Biden regarding the situation and received assurances of federal assistance.
On Friday, President Biden made a visit to the affected state to offer his condolences.
As per the information available on the US Power Outage website, Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are the states that have been hit the hardest by the recent storms.
While emergency agencies and utility companies have been working around the clock to restore power and clear roads, many areas remain without power. The National Weather Service has also issued a severe weather warning, urging residents to remain informed and take precautions.
