WASHINGTON: A “catastrophic” tornado ripped through the southern US state of Arkansas, killing three people Friday, while intense storms further north caused the roof of an Illinois theatre to collapse, killing one and injuring 28, authorities said.
The tornado ripped through Arkansas in the afternoon, causing “widespread damage,” according to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Sanders said that two people were killed in the eastern Arkansas town of Wynne, while an official in Pulaski County, which surrounds the capital of Little Rock, confirmed a fatality. On Twitter, Sanders stated that significant damage had occurred in Central Arkansas. “Nearly 30 individuals have been transported to our local hospitals,” said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr.
The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for parts of Tennessee, Illinois, and Iowa. In the evening, the roof and part of the facade of the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois, collapsed due to severe weather. On the stage inside, a heavy metal band was performing at the same time. According to Fox 32, a Chicago television affiliate, more than 20 ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
According to Belvidere Fire Chief Shawn Schadle, one person died and 28 were injured in the disaster, and five were seriously injured. On TV, emergency personnel were seen carrying injured concertgoers on stretchers. A video posted on social media showed rubble on the floor of the concert venue, some nearly waist-high, and a gaping hole in the roof. Late evening, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker tweeted that his administration is monitoring the roof collapse at the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere tonight.
The Arkansas tornado struck in the afternoon, sweeping through Little Rock. Lara Farrar, a witness, told AFP that the tornado was highly destructive. She claimed she drove to West Little Rock and exited at a red light. Farrar said she was shocked because the neighborhood had been destroyed, with the roofs of some of the buildings completely blown off.
She said the tornado’s path was about a quarter mile wide (half a kilometer), leaving intense destruction, but the damage was “very minor” outside the direct path. The mayor of Little Rock, Scott, stated on Twitter that “property damage is extensive, and we are still responding.” Authorities in Pulaski County, which surrounds the state capital, reported “significant storm damage.”
According to Poweroutage.us, more than 78,000 people were without power across the state. The governor’s office could not immediately confirm any casualties to AFP. Still, a local hospital told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper that patients, including “a few” in critical condition, had already begun to arrive. According to the newspaper, a spokesperson for Baptist Health hospital said the hospital was preparing to treat injuries. A University of Arkansas hospital spokesperson told AFP it was also on standby.
The spokesperson stated that they have not seen any people coming in, but they know that emergency services have had difficulty reaching people due to downed trees. He said that we expect people to arrive throughout the night.
Tornadoes are common in the United States, particularly in the center and south. A tornado ripped through the southern state of Mississippi a week ago, killing 25 people and causing extensive property damage. On Friday, President Joe Biden visited Rolling Fork, Mississippi, one of the hardest-hit areas. Tornadoes killed approximately 80 people in Kentucky in December 2021.
