At least 33 dead over weekend as tornadoes ravage US

ANKARA

The death toll from tornadoes that ravaged the US over the weekend rose to 33, according to local media.

More than 60 tornadoes hit eight states from Arkansas to Delaware on Friday night.

At least 15 weather-related casualties were reported in Tennessee county. Other deaths were reported in Alabama, Illinois, and Mississippi, along with one near Little Rock, Arkansas, where the mayor said more than 2,000 buildings were in a tornado’s path.

At least 52 people have died since March 25 in tornadoes across eight states.

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado was a high-end EF3 twister with wind speeds up to 165 mph (265 km/h) and a path as long as 25 miles (40 kms).

On Saturday evening, at least one person died when a suspected tornado caused a structure to collapse near the Delaware town of Greenwood, the Sussex County government reported.

Near Huntsville, Alabama, a 90-year-old woman died inside her home after it was destroyed by a tornado, Don Webster, a spokesman with Huntsville Emergency Medical Services told CBS News.

Four people died in the town of Wynne in northeastern Arkansas, the town's coroner told CBS News. Officials also said there were people trapped in the debris of destroyed homes.

Also on Saturday, a theater roof collapsed during a tornado in Belvidere, Illinois, claiming the life of a 50-year-old man and injuring about 40 others, officials confirmed.

Three people were killed when a residential structure collapsed in Crawford County, said Alicia Tate-Nadeau, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

At least five people were killed in Arkansas, where a state of emergency has been declared, said Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Jim Pirtle, emergency management director of Sullivan County, Indiana, said they reported three fatalities.

“While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know families across America are mourning the loss of loved ones, desperately waiting for news of others fighting for their lives, and sorting through the rubble of their homes and businesses,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Earlier, Biden declared broad areas of the country major disaster areas, making federal resources and financial aid available for recovery. He also toured Rolling Fork, after multiple tornadoes hit the southern state.