The US government on Sunday directed federal resources to tornado-hit Arkansas, as at least 27 people have been killed by storms in 11 states since Friday.
According to a statement from the White House, US President Joe Biden has declared a severe natural disaster for several counties in the state of Arkansas, which will allow contributions from the federal budget to alleviate the damage. Accordingly, the arrangement of temporary housing for the homeless, the repair of damaged buildings, and the provision of discounted loans for those without insurance will become available from central sources. Previously, Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, the governor of the state, declared a state of emergency and ordered the deployment of the National Guard.
The tornadoes that hit the central part of the country caused the most serious damage in the state of Arkansas, where about 2,600 buildings were reported to be affected by the tornado. In Wynne, four people lost their lives and several houses collapsed. A tornado struck the state capital, Little Rock, on Friday, killing one person and injuring about 25 others, several of whom are in critical condition, authorities said. Based on the on-site reports, the whirlwind first destroyed the western part of the city, passed through a shopping center, and then caused serious damage to the northern part of the city and the surrounding settlements.
The storms claimed the most deaths in Tennessee, where nine people lost their lives. Governor Bill Lee called the week just ending the worst week of his term in office, also referring to the fact that on Monday in the state capital, Memphis, a gunman killed 6 people, including 3 children, at a private Christian school.
Tornadoes and severe storms have killed 4 people in Illinois. Belvidere’s Apollo Theater had 260 people attending a heavy metal concert when the tornado caused the ceiling to collapse, killing one person and injuring 40, according to recent reports.
The storm claimed the lives of three people in the southern part of Indiana, and there were reports of a fatality in Alabama and Mississippi, as well as in the state of Delaware on the east coast.
Fires fueled by wind storms in Kansas have forced the evacuation of several people in the town of El Dorado. In Oklahoma, high winds caused fast-spreading wildfires that injured more than 30 people and destroyed about 40 homes.
MTI
