Devastating Tornadoes Level Towns Across the Midwest USA

Written by Team Morecast

 

The worst severe storm outbreak since 2021 struck the Midwest U.S. on Friday. At least 65 tornado reports have been tallied so far by the Storm Prediction Center across eight states (see map below). So far nine deaths have been attributed to the storms with dozens more hospitalized.

 

 

The outbreak was widely anticipated by forecasters in the days leading up to Friday. The SPC (Storm Prediction Center) issued a rare “High Risk” severe storm outlook for the first time in more than two years. Storms developed first from Iowa into Missouri and Arkansas in the midday before sprinting east across the Mississippi River. The severe storms continued well into the overnight, a particularly dangerous situation as the lack of daylight visibility increases the risk that people will be caught off guard.

 

 

 

The worst tornadoes struck the northern Little Rock metro area and the city of Wynne, Arkansas. Little Rock is the capital of Arkansas and the state’s largest city. A devastating tornado rolled across the northern suburbs a little after two p.m. local time (see video above). Two hours later, another strong tornado touched down in the smaller city of Wynne. Officials there described “total destruction” through the heart of downtown, including the high school where dozens were trapped. Other severe tornadoes struck Iowa, Tennessee, Illinois, and Indiana (see video of damage above). The roof of the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, IL collapsed due to strong winds, leaving one dead and dozens more seriously injured. Lead photo courtesy Flickr contributor Lane Pearman.

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