A major storm system that has been moving toward the South and Midwest since Friday has killed at least 30 people, according to officials.
President Joe Biden said in a statement on Sunday that he has been in contact with officials in affected states, including Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, and Delaware, and has directed his administration to “help with immediate needs and long-term rebuilding.”
Biden said, “While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know that families across America are mourning the loss of loved ones, anxiously awaiting news of others fighting for their lives and removing debris from their homes and businesses.” said in the statement. “There is nothing we can do to heal the hole left in the hearts of the many families who lost loved ones this weekend, but we will be there every step of the way as they rebuild and heal.”
Thirteen deaths have been reported in Tennessee, where an EF-2 tornado struck Wayne and Lewis counties on Friday night, later hitting McEnery and Hardin counties as well, according to the National Weather Service field office in Nashville.
According to McNairy County Sheriff Guy Buck, nine deaths occurred in buildings that were destroyed to their foundations in McNairy County.
A tornado crossed the entire county and stayed on the ground for more than 30 miles, causing “every kind of damage imaginable,” Buck told NBC News.
Two children and an adult were found dead in Memphis on Sunday, the city police department said, after officers responded to South Edgware Road after reports of trees falling on several homes.
A woman was also killed in Madison County, in northern Alabama, when a tornado struck the Tennessee and Alabama border, according to county coroner Tyler Berryhill.
Survey crews will continue to assess potential tornado damage in Marshall, Rutherford, Cannon, and Macon counties, the National Weather Service field office in Nashville said in a tweet.
In Arkansas, five people have been killed in Cross and Pulaski counties, where an EF-3 tornado struck, according to preliminary data from the National Weather Service field office in Little Rock.
The tornado toppled between 2,100 and 2,600 structures and sent about 50 residents to hospitals with injuries, according to Little Rock officials.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ request for a major disaster declaration from President Joe Biden was approved on Sunday.
“It is clear that the damage caused by Friday’s tornado is significant and widespread,” Sanders said in a statement. “I will continue to work with our first responders, law enforcement, volunteers, and state and local leaders to help Arkansas recover. Arkansas is stronger. I know we will come back from this.”
Five people have also died in Owen and Sullivan counties in Indiana, according to officials. A couple identified as Brett Kincaid, 53, and Wendy Kincaid, 47, was found dead at a campground at McCormick’s Creek State Park following a severe storm in Owen County.
At least three tornadoes were confirmed in the state by the National Weather Service field office in northern Indiana, one of which was an EF-2 tornado in Allen County.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed an executive order on Saturday declaring Sullivan and Johnson counties a state of emergency.
At least 12 tornadoes were confirmed in Illinois by the National Weather Service field office in Chicago, including an EF-1 tornado that struck Boone County, killing a 50-year-old man and injuring 48 others, when the ceiling collapsed during a concert. Apollo Theatre.
Five of those injured at the concert remain in critical condition, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at a news conference on Sunday.
Pritzker said that concert-goers were told to take shelter but events unfolded very quickly. He said a disaster proclamation had been signed for the county.
A total of four deaths were reported in Illinois, including Crawford County, where a residential structural collapse killed three people, according to officials.
In Delaware, a tornado is expected to hit Sussex County Saturday evening, killing one person, according to Chip Guy, the county’s director of communications.
An EF-1 tornado was also reported to have moved through Marion and Winston counties in Alabama, according to preliminary ratings from the National Weather Service in Birmingham.
One person was killed and four others were injured in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, due to inclement weather, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.
“There are reports of damaged homes, downed trees, and power outages due to strong winds across the state,” the agency said. “Preliminary assessment of damage is being done.”