According to the mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, a “devastating” tornado has left at least 24 injured individuals hospitalised.
On Friday, the twister tore through the state’s capital, flipping automobiles, slamming roofs, and uprooting trees. Aerial footage released by the Weather Channel shows that a number of blocks have sustained significant damage.
An “explosive” storm system poses a threat to over 90 million people in 15 US states. Moreover, Missouri has declared a state of emergency, and two tornadoes were reported in Iowa. In Illinois, hail the size of a golf ball landed, breaking automobile windows.
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The National Guard was sent out following what the governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, called “serious devastation” in central Arkansas.
Frank Scott Jr., the mayor of Little Rock, tweeted that the tornado there was “devastating.”He stated in a tweet sent out on Friday night that no fatalities had been confirmed, but that “property damage is extensive.”
According to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center in Little Rock, at least 15 to 20 patients are anticipated.
The largest hospital in the state, Baptist Health Medical Center, reported having five patients who were in critical condition.
Why was the tornado in Mississippi so destructive?
In images: Mississippi town destroyed by tornado
It occurs just one week after an unusual, long-track twister in Mississippi that claimed 26 lives. On Friday, President Joe Biden travelled to the state to offer condolences and pledge federal assistance.
According to the Storm Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, high risk severe thunderstorm warnings were in effect on Friday for portions of Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Tennessee.
In an advisory, the agency issued a warning that some of the expected tornadoes would travel over significant distances on the ground.
According to William Bunting, the Storm Prediction Center’s operations director, the last time two distinct high risk warnings were issued concurrently was in April 2012.
This week’s tornado in Mississippi travelled 59 miles (94 km) and lasted for nearly an hour and ten minutes, which is an exceptionally lengthy time for a storm to last. According to officials, it caused damage to 2,000 dwellings.
According to Poweroutages.us, about 79,000 people in Arkansas were without power. In Oklahoma, where strong winds are suspected of having brought down power lines and started grass fires, over 28,000 people lost electricity. Moreover, Missouri, Kansas, and Texas reported outages.
According to police, the two tornadoes in Iowa that touched down in a field did not cause any significant damage or injuries.
The relationship between tornadoes and warming weather is complicated, and it is uncertain whether the storm’s strength was exacerbated by climate change.
According to the United Nations climate panel, the world has already warmed by around 1.2C since the start of the industrial age, and temperatures will continue to rise unless nations drastically reduce emissions.
