Tornadoes in the US leave a path of devastation for more than 300 kilometers. The search for missing people continues.
Mayfield – Kentucky’s Governor Beshear struggles to put the extent of the devastation into words – that’s how gigantic the devastation after the tornadoes was in the United States. His state is particularly hard hit by the storm. Rescue workers are still looking for survivors on Saturday (December 11th, 2021, local time).
According to the authorities, the number of deaths in the storms in six states rose to over 80. Dozens of people were still missing. It is “one of the worst tornado series in our history,” said US President Joe Biden. “It’s a tragedy.”
US tornado: Kentucky hardest hit
Joe Biden pledged the support of the federal authorities to the affected states. Numerous rescue workers searched the ruins of houses and shops in search of survivors on Saturday together with the stunned residents of the affected places.
The tornadoes passed through six states in the southeast and the center of the United States on Saturday night. The state of Kentucky was worst hit. According to Beshear, more than 70 people died there. It is to be feared that the number will rise to over 100, he said.
Kentucky tornado: roof of a candle factory collapsed
Dozens of people were killed when the roof of a candle factory collapsed in the small town of Mayfield, Kentucky. According to Beshear, around 110 people were working in the factory at the time of the accident. 40 employees have been saved. It would be “a miracle if anyone is found alive,” he said.
CNN published a call for help from a trapped factory worker who was later rescued. “We are locked in, please, get us help,” says Kyanna Parsons-Perez in a shaky voice, while the moans of other people affected can be heard in the background.
Pictures and videos in online networks showed buildings destroyed by the storm in the small town with 10,000 inhabitants, as well as trees and bricks lying on the streets. “It looks like a bomb has exploded,” said 31-year-old resident Alex Goodman. Some of the houses were only in ruins. Mayfield looks like a bunch of “matches,” Mayor Kathy O’Nan told CNN.
Tornado in the USA: Amazon also affected
At least 13 other people were killed in other states. At least six Amazon employees died in a warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois. Around a hundred employees were initially trapped in the building, which was partially destroyed by a tornado. They were on the night shift that processed Christmas orders.
Fire chief James Whiteford later reported 45 employees were brought to safety. Six people could only be rescued dead. According to Whiteford, he did not assume that any survivors could be rescued. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos said on Twitter that he was “heartbroken” about the deaths.
At least two people were killed in Arkansas. Among them was a resident of a nursing home in the city of Monette. 20 other nursing home residents, who were initially locked in the badly damaged building, were later rescued by the rescue workers. At least four people died in Tennessee and one more in Missouri. In total, the number of deaths rose to 83.
Climate change cause of tornado strength in the USA
Scientists keep warning that the number of storms and their strength is increasing due to climate change. This particularly affects areas in which extreme weather events are already the order of the day.
It is known that “everything becomes more intense when the climate warms up,” said Biden on the effects of climate change. However, he cannot say exactly what influence this had on this tornado series. (ktho / afp)
Headline list image: © Ryan C. Hermens / dpa
