Tornadoes bring deaths, destruction
WASHINGTON: Tornadoes ripped through the southern United States, killing at least 32 people and leaving behind splintered buildings and downed powerlines, officials and US media said Monday. Twisters caused catastrophic damage Easter Sunday and early Monday morning as storms moved through a region stretching from Texas to Georgia, prompting the National Weather Service to issue its highest level of tornado alert.
Images showed lines of smashed, roofless houses where tornadoes had blasted through, many homes just piles of rubble sitting atop foundations. Aircraft parked at a regional airport in Monroe, Louisiana were piled on top of each other. “By the grace of God, early reports show only a few minor injuries,”
Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo said on Twitter, and the city’s account later posted pictures of downed power lines.
In neighboring Mississippi, however, at least 11 people were killed, according to the state’s emergency management agency. The Weather Channel said at least 32 people had died across the region, combining local tolls. There were nine people who died in South Carolina, the outlet reported, citing the state’s governor Henry McMaster, and they reported one death in North Carolina. Seven people were reported to have been killed when tornadoes hit a mobile home park near the GeorgiaTennessee border.
“There’s been loss of life, there’s been significant loss of property,” Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said Monday, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The National Weather Service in the state found damage caused by winds estimated to be up to 145 miles (235 kilometers) per hour. The Weather Channel reported one person in Arkansas was killed when a tree fell on a house, plus two other deaths in Alabama. —AFP