Washington: Hurricanes and tornadoes have caused great devastation in the US. The death toll from devastating winds and powerful tornadoes has risen to 21, while dozens of others have been injured, officials said on Saturday.
A spokesman for the emergency management agency in Tennessee confirmed seven deaths to AFP, one of the states hardest hit by the storm since Friday.
On Saturday, the storm system was impacting the US east coast, with thunderstorms, hail and strong winds predicted until late Sunday night. The state’s governor said that on Friday, there were storms and several tornadoes. Including the capital Little Rock, where at least five people lost their lives.
However, in broad daylight, the devastation was detected as many houses were damaged, cars overturned, power lines uprooted and trees uprooted from the ground.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard to help with recovery efforts.
The National Weather Service had also issued a tornado warning for several other states, from Iowa in the north to the southern state of Mississippi, where a tornado last week killed 25 people and caused massive property damage.
Outside Chicago, the disaster struck the Illinois city of Belvedere when severe weather caused the roof and front of the Apollo theater to collapse. TV footage showed emergency workers carrying injured people going to the concert on stretchers, while videos posted on social media showed waist-deep debris on the floor of the concert venue and a hole in the ceiling.