At least one person has been killed and dozens more injured after a devastating storm caused the roof of the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois to collapse. According to the local fire department, around 260 people were inside the theater when the roof caved in at 19:55 local time. Fire Chief Shawn Schadle reported that 28 people were taken to hospital, with five in a serious condition.
The storm that caused the destruction was part of a series of fierce tornados that ripped through several US states on Friday, killing at least three people in total. Arkansas and Missouri declared states of emergency due to the extensive damage reported in parts of the South and Midwest. Tens of thousands were left without power.
A major tornado tore through the Arkansas state capital Little Rock, flipping cars, smashing roofs and toppling trees. At least 24 people were injured, according to the city’s mayor. The state’s governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, confirmed the deaths of two people in the town of Wynne, some 100 miles (170km) from Little Rock.
The US government’s Storm Prediction Center reported more than 40 tornado reports across six states on Friday night. Several flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport were delayed or cancelled as passengers were told to take shelter due to what it described as “severe weather”.
In Tennessee, Covington Mayor Jan Hensley pleaded with people not to “drive around” as power lines had been hit by storms. The Covington Police Department described the city as “impassable” sharing photos of roads blocked by downed power poles and large trees toppled in front of homes.
Mrs Huckabee Sanders deployed the National Guard after what she described as “significant damage” in central Arkansas. As of 20:30 local time, more than 70,000 in her state were without electricity, according to the US power outage website. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center in Little Rock said it was expecting at least 15-20 patients, while Baptist Health Medical Center, the state’s biggest hospital, said it had five patients in a critical condition.
The night of deadly tornados comes just one week after a rare, long-track twister killed 26 people in Mississippi. President Joe Biden visited the state on Friday to pay his condolences and promise federal aid. The Mississippi tornado travelled 59 miles (94km) and lasted about an hour and 10 minutes – an unusually long period of time for a storm to sustain itself. It damaged about 2,000 homes, officials said.
Tragically, a storm has caused yet more destruction in the US with one person killed and dozens more injured after a roof collapse at the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois. Fire Chief Shawn Schadle reported that 28 people were taken to hospital, with five in a serious condition.
The series of fierce tornados that ripped through several US states on Friday caused extensive damage in parts of the South and Midwest, leaving tens of thousands without power. A major tornado tore through the Arkansas state capital Little Rock, flipping cars, smashing roofs and toppling trees – with at least 24 people injured. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed two deaths in the town of Wynne, some 100 miles (170km) from Little Rock.
The US government’s Storm Prediction Center reported more than 40 tornado reports across six states on Friday night. Covington Mayor Jan Hensley warned people not to “drive around” due to downed power lines, while Mrs Huckabee Sanders deployed the National Guard after what she described as “significant damage” in central Arkansas.
The destruction comes just one week after a rare, long-track twister killed 26 people in Mississippi. President Joe Biden visited the state on Friday to pay his condolences and promise federal aid. The Mississippi tornado travelled 59 miles (94km) and lasted about an hour and 10 minutes – an unusually long period of time for a storm to sustain itself. It damaged about 2,000 homes, officials said.
The tragedy in Illinois serves as a reminder of the devastating power of storms and the importance of taking all necessary precautions when severe weather is forecast.