These US states have been hit particularly hard

Over several hundreds of kilometers in length, dozens of tornadoes wreaked havoc across several US states on Friday evening. More than 100 people are feared dead. According to meteorologists, the storms formed from a thunderstorm cell in Arkansas and then moved through northeastern Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana into Ohio.

Kentucky: Hard hit

The storm in Kentucky caused tremendous damage. The state’s governor, Andy Beshear, counted at least 50 deaths Saturday morning. He expects more than 80 and more than 100 deaths by Sunday morning. However, these numbers are not officially confirmed. At a press conference on Sunday, Beshear stressed that the failure of cell phone networks made it more difficult to search for the missing.

According to him, one tornado alone cut a 227-mile (365-kilometer) path of destruction in Kentucky, 200 miles away. “Anything that was in the direct line of this hurricane is still standing,” the governor said. If these early reports are confirmed, the hurricane would go down as one of the longest in U.S. history, said Victor Gencini, a senior meteorologist at Northern Illinois University.

The longest tornado recorded to date was in March 1925, 355 kilometers through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. Gencini said the current cyclone could have crossed the country by up to 400 kilometers. As stated therein The Seattle Times The first warning of a “large and very dangerous tornado” was issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Memphis, Tennessee at 7:06 p.m. It was only after 11.30pm that the storm cleared hundreds of kilometers away. Mayfield was like that in the hardest hit spot The New York Times reported110 workers were caught in a tornado in a candle factory and the building was completely destroyed.

Illinois: Roof collapses at Amazon distribution center

Tornadoes caused extensive damage further north in Illinois. Like a news channel NBC Chicago In the small town of Edwardsville, six people were reported dead after a tornado hit a distribution center owned by online retailer Amazon. One injured person was taken to hospital. The building was partially demolished by an EF-3 tornado with 250 km/h winds. However, no further missing persons are believed to be present.

Arkansas: Tornado hits nursing homes

In Arkansas, where the storms originated, a tornado struck the northeastern towns of Monette and Truman, damaging several buildings, including two nursing homes, according to media reports. Two people died and five others were injured at a nursing home in Monet. Rescuers rescued 20 people from the building.

Missouri: 31 tornado warnings

At least two people were killed in Missouri. According to Governor Mike Parsons, hundreds of homes and other buildings were damaged or destroyed. The National Weather Service issued a total of 31 tornado warnings for the state on Friday.

Tennessee: Four deaths

as Radio Network NPR At least four people are reported dead in Tennessee. Ten people were injured in hospitals and 64 others were injured, some with minor injuries, according to Alex Bellom, head of the local civil defense agency. Many trees and power poles were downed causing power outages. By Saturday evening, 63,000 homes would have to make do without electricity.

Indiana, Ohio and Mississippi: Minor damage

Indiana, Ohio and Mississippi were the worst affected states. in northwest Indiana, the NWS confirmed, according to a local TV station Wish TV A tornado caused little damage and no one was injured. Local news portal Lima News A tornado in Ohio damaged two buildings in the small town of Ada, citing the NWS.

noise CNN As of Saturday night, 111,000 homes were without power in Ohio as a result of damage in other states. According to a local newspaper Clarion Ledger A tornado was reported to the NWS early Saturday morning in Mississippi. A trial is still pending. No damage or injuries are known.

Material from RND/lgr/dpa and AP