Severe storms have wreaked havoc across the United States, leaving at least 32 people dead and many more injured. Tornadoes have been confirmed or suspected in 11 states, including Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. The storms have caused widespread destruction, tearing apart homes and businesses, splintering trees, and laying waste to entire neighborhoods.
Arkansas has been hit particularly hard, with at least five people killed and a high school left heavily damaged. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard, while the federal government has declared broad areas of the country disaster zones, making federal resources and financial aid available for recovery efforts.
Illinois has also suffered, with a roof collapse at a packed concert venue leaving one person dead and 48 others injured. Governor J.B. Pritzker has visited the partially collapsed Apollo Theatre, as well as Crawford County, where a tornado hit New Hebron, killing three people and injuring eight.
In Indiana, three people have died as a result of the storms, while McNairy County, Tennessee has seen nine fatalities. The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado was responsible for damage to several homes near Bridgeville, Delaware, with one person found dead inside a house.
As rescue teams continue to search through the rubble, communities affected by the storms are coming to terms with the loss of lives and homes. Rachel Milam of Waynesboro, Tennessee, was in her basement with her daughter and her mother and her mother’s boyfriend upstairs when the tornado approached.
As it ripped the roof off, the shower curtain fell, and they watched in horror as the house was picked up and disappeared. A piece of wood and a mirror fell on them, but they managed to escape. Milam, a nurse, joined other neighbors in digging people out of wrecked homes.
The storms are likely to cause long-lasting devastation, and the number of deaths may still rise as damage assessments continue. For now, people are mourning the loss of loved ones, desperately waiting for news of those fighting for their lives, and sorting through the rubble of their homes and businesses.
