Tornado damage in Little Rock, Arkansas after dozens of homes destroyed across US and death toll rises | US News

The death toll continued to rise after dozens of tornadoes destroyed thousands of buildings in Arkansas and other U.S. states.

At least 22 people have died so far Across the South and Midwest or usthe death toll is expected to rise after Friday night’s tornado.

Seven of those people died in McNairy County in southwestern Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

Five of the deaths occurred in Cross and Pulaski counties in Arkansas, three in Sullivan County, Indiana, one in Boone County, Illinois and one in Pontota, Mississippi, according to officials. Clarke County, 1 case in Madison County, Alabama.

The damage was so extensive it would take days to reach all affected areas, the National Weather Service said.

The mayor of Little Rock, the Arkansas capital, said more than 2,100 homes and businesses were damaged in the city, but the full extent of the damage was still being assessed.

Authorities in Little Rock added that at least one person was killed and more than 20 were injured in the area, some seriously.

In Little Rock and swathes of the east and northeast of the state capital, tornadoes ripped off roofs and walls, toppled vehicles and toppled trees and power lines, officials said.

Joanna McFadden was at a nail salon with two others when the tornado struck.

“The only way we knew a tornado was coming — the leaves were swirling, that’s the only way we knew. It looked like it was standing still,” Ms McFadden said.

She and the others hid behind Sharon.

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The town of Wayne in northeastern Arkansas was also damaged, where officials reported two deaths, along with destroyed homes and people trapped in the rubble.

Wayne City Councilman Lisa Powell Carter said the town, about 50 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee, was without power and roadways were littered with debris.

“I’m heartbroken that my town has been hit so hard,” said salon owner Heidi Jenkins.

“Our school is gone, my church is gone. I feel sorry for all the people who have lost their homes.”

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders mobilized 100 National Guard members to help local authorities respond.

Elsewhere in the United States, A crowded concert venue in Illinois was looted and collapsedleaving people across the region baffled by Saturday’s devastation.

Confirmed or suspected tornadoes in at least seven states have destroyed homes and businesses, splintered trees and left communities in devastation in areas of the country that are home to some 85 million people.

Nearly 90,000 customers in Arkansas were without power, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks outages. Power outages were also reported in Iowa, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Indiana and Texas.