Death toll grows in the US as extreme storms, and tornadoes ravage several states

By Recardo Mendez Published on April 02, 2023
Death toll grows in the US as extreme storms, and tornadoes ravage several states

Homes were destroyed and thousands were left without power after massive storms caused devastation across several states.

There have been more than 80 reported tornadoes since 31 March, according to the National Weather Service.

States, including Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, have all had fatalities.

One storm shredded through the Arkansas town of Wynne - a community some 100 miles (170km) east of the state capital, Little Rock.

Ashley Macmillan said she, her husband and their children huddled with their dogs in the bathroom as a tornado passed overhead, "praying and saying goodbye to each other because we thought we were dead". 

A falling tree seriously damaged their home, but they were unhurt.

"We could feel the house shaking; we could hear loud noises, dishes rattling. And then it just got calm," Ms Macmillan told the AP news agency.

Wynne High School was severely damaged, with some buildings torn to pieces. One of its teachers, Lisa Worden, said a decision to send pupils home early was critical.

"We got out at 1:30, which was such a God blessing from our superintendent, because otherwise kids would have been on busses and teachers would have still been here. And so that would have been even more devastating," she told Reuters news agency.

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency in the state of Arkansas on Friday, with the national guard activated to help with recovery efforts.

Recardo Mendez

Recardo Mendez

Sports Reporter

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