President Joe Biden grieved for the victims of the deadly tornadoes that swept through the Mississippi Valley, killing at least 70 people in Kentucky and dozens more in four other states, before pointing to the contentious issue of climate change for the extreme weather.
Biden, speaking from Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday, promised to get federal help to the areas affected as soon as possible after declaring an emergency and ordering assistance for the Kentucky town ravaged by the tornado.
He stated that ‘all that I know is the impact that climate change and warming have on the quality of weather worldwide. The impact of specific storms on the climate change is something I don’t know at this time. “I’m asking the EPA, and other agencies to have a look.
Biden had promised to visit Kentucky. But he did so at a time when he and his staff wouldn’t have to be “in the way.”
Joe Biden, President of the Chase Center Wilmington in Delaware will speak Saturday about the devastating tornadoes that struck the midwest and south killing at least 70 people.
Biden expressed empathy for victims and those who were left behind, as well as the rescuers. However, he blamed climate change for the recent increase in natural disasters.
The tornado that ravaged the area last night has left this aerial shot of Mayfield in Kentucky.
Biden clearly thought about recent increases in the number of weather-related disasters.
“We are as prepared for disasters as any government ever has been.” Was there a warning? Were they strong enough, and were we heeded? I was asked if we would be able do it. You asked me about whether we would be able to prevent more weather-related catastrophes.
He said that wildfires have been around for a while, but that he didn’t think we would see New Jersey’s territory burnt to the ground more than it did. “We must act. But the most important thing is that we save any person still alive. We have to take care of them, and those who are with them.
President Obama also met with Arkansas Governor Asa Humchinson and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Missouri Governor Mike Parson were present to express condolences.
Beshear told a briefing at midday Saturday that the death rate was up to 70, and it could go higher than 100 before the day ends.
He added, “This tornado system will, I believe,” be the worst to hit Kentucky. “It’s indescribable.” This is the most devastating scene I’ve ever witnessed.
According to preliminary estimates, the tornado was the worst-ever strike of tornadoes in Kentucky since 1890. In that year, 76 were killed in Louisville.
A single tornado, out of the many that were struck by the storms, is believed to have caused damage over 200 miles. This would be close or even surpass the global record.
It was here that the epicenter of destruction took place. the town of Mayfield, a small city of about 10,000 people in the far western part of Kentucky, where the Bluegrass State borders Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. Blocks were left flattened with the tower of the Kentucky Courthouse shredded and houses and buildings torn apart. Bricks, metal fragments, and tree limbs were scattered about.
According to Beshear, the roof of Mayfield’s candle factory fell on its roof. This resulted in “mass casualties.” He stated that 110 workers had fallen from the factory’s roof, while only 40 were still alive as of Saturday midday.
We’re likely to lose lots of people at this facility. The governor, who was visibly upset, said that he hoped for another rescue.
In southern Illinois, officials said that at most two of the victims were killed and 50 others were trapped when a roof fell on an Amazon warehouse in St. Louis. This happened late Friday as strong storms and tornadoes battered the region.
A tornado that ripped the roof off a Monette nursing home destroyed its roof in north Arkansas, killing at least two people and injuring five others. Another person was killed in Missouri.
A further three people were killed in the severe weather in Tennessee, Dean Flener, spokesman for the state’s Emergency Management Agency said.
After Friday’s tornado, an aerial view shows the path of destruction leading to Mayfield in Kentucky.
Mayfield in Kentucky was flattened. Houses and buildings were ripped out of their structures. There were twisted metal and tree limbs broken and bricks all over the streets.
The destruction of the Kentucky tornadoes has left Mayfield’s downtown ruined
Mayfield Courthouse, Kentucky suffered severe damage from multiple tornadoes that struck the Midwest’s lower Midwest late Friday night. It left behind a huge path of destruction and unidentified fatalities.
The aftermath of tornadoes in Mayfield, Kentucky. Emmanuel Baptist Church can be seen on Saturday morning.
On Saturday, heavy damage was seen in Mayfield. This small, 10,000-person city is located in Kentucky’s far west, near the border of Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas.
Governor Beshear said the damage was ‘some of the worst we’ve seen in a long time’ in the town of Mayfield (above Saturday)
On Saturday, a large semi-trailer is turned over and shoved against a building at Bowling Green. On Friday, severe weather and tornadoes caused extensive damage in multiple states.
The town courthouse has suffered severe damage after the tornado which swept through Mayfield in Kentucky.
Two people are confirmed dead, and others trapped in this Amazon warehouse that was partially blown off its roof by the tornado that struck Edwardsville, Illinois.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear claimed Saturday morning that the death count was now “northern of 70” and it could end up surpassing 100 by the time the day is over.
A series of thunderstorms overnight, which included a supercell storm in northeast Arkansas, was the catalyst for tornadoes. The storm moved through Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
“Unfortunately, it caused a few deadly tornadoes along its path.” Roger Edward, Storm Prediction Center meteorologist said that one of the tornadoes may have been long-track. “The fatal tornado was part”
According to the White House, President Joe Biden has been briefed regarding the destruction. Biden would also receive additional briefings during the day.
According to the White House, the President ordered that Federal resources immediately be rushed to those areas most in need of relief from the devastating effects of these hurricanes.
The widespread outage of power in many states has hampered emergency response. On Saturday, hundreds of thousands were without electricity in multiple states.
Speaking at a press conference early Saturday morning, Beshear said: ‘As of 4:45am [CST]56,854 Kentuckians have no power. Since around 1am, I’ve been at the emergency operation center overseeing the response.
Beshear stated, “This was one of the most difficult nights in Kentucky’s history” and that some areas were hit in ways it is hard to describe.
He stated that he declared an emergency state before midnight. The national guard has been activated. There are 181 Guardsmen, including Search and Extract and Debris Clearing personnel.
According to him, search and rescue personnel had worked through the night in an effort to free people trapped under the rubble.
Beshear reported that 110 people were trapped in a candle-factory located nearby when the tornado tore through. It brought down the roof of the factory, leading to massive casualties.
This busy factory worked three shifts to meet Christmas order fulfillment. Initial reports indicated that several people were killed.
Kyanna Parsons Perez, who witnessed the incident, stated that the roof burst soon after the workers were able to hear the howling wind and see the light flickering.
Parsons Perez stated to NBC that he could feel the wind, and then he did a small rock. “And then everything fell on us.”
Photos and videos posted to social media show brick buildings being reduced to rubble in Mayfield, and parked vehicles nearly submerged under the debris and bricks.
Photographs showed that the clock tower of Graves County’s Mayfield courthouse appeared to have fallen.
Mayfield’s Graves County courthouse appeared to have fallen from the clock tower.
In Earlington, Kentucky, a train that was damaged by tornadoes is visible derailment
The scene of a train derailment is pictured in Earlington, Kentucky after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several U.S. states
Residents of Earlington, Kentucky walk by the site of a train wreckage after tornadoes caused a trail of destruction
A tornado caused severe damage to Mayfield in Kentucky, Saturday.
After a tornado struck the Mayfield area, Mayfield’s city hall and police station are heavily damaged.
On Saturday, a tornado damaged a Mayfield, Kentucky feed store.
Bill Mosley and Bonnie Mosley walk together to assess the destruction while carrying his two guns. These were the only things he could recover from the loss of their Earlington home.
One car is parked under the house that was destroyed in Saturday’s tornado at Campbellsville, Kentucky. On Friday, severe weather and tornadoes caused widespread destruction in multiple states.
At least 100 ambulances arrived on the scene at an Amazon warehouse located near Edwardsville in Illinois. They found that the wall and roof were about as long as football fields.
Although it was not immediately known how many were injured, one individual was flown to the hospital by helicopter.
Mike Fillback of Edwardsville police stated that many people were inside the building and were bused to Pontoon Beach Police Station for further evaluation.
Rescue crews continued to dig through rubble Saturday morning in an effort to find anyone trapped within. Fillback stated that the rescue operation would continue for many hours. To help with the removal of debris, backhoes and cranes were used.
“Please take your time with us. Fillback stated that fire fighters are trying to reunite loved ones with everyone.
Fillback stated at a press conference that there were’more deaths than one…at least two’ at Amazon’s facility.
According to him, authorities still need to verify how many were present at the site when it was destroyed. He believed that the total number of people at the facility was approximately 50.
In a statement sent to DailyMail.com, Kelly Nantel from Amazon stated that the loss of members of their Amazon family was devastating.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their loved ones as well as all who were affected by the storm. Thank you to all first responders who were on the scene. Nantel said that she continues to offer support to her employees and to all of the partners involved in this disaster.
According to The Belleville News-Democrat in 2016, Amazon opened Edwardsville with two warehouses, covering 1.5 million square footage. They are used for storing items before they can be shipped.
An Amazon fulfillment center severely damaged is visible Saturday in Edwardsville (Illinois). A large part of the roof collapsed and two people were killed in the storms that swept through the area on Friday night.
The workers use machinery to lift a section from the roof of a badly damaged Amazon fulfillment centre Saturday
After being blown by strong winds in Edwardsville (Illinois), the Amazon distribution center has partially fallen.
Following a tornado that struck Edwardsville in the Midwest, there is debris around the Amazon.com warehouse.
A damaged Amazon Distribution Center was surrounded by first responders in Edwardsville, Illinois. According to some reports, Friday’s tornado struck the Distribution Center.
After a tornado ripped through Edwardsville in Illinois, emergency crews responded to the collapsed warehouse of Amazon.com
‘About a third of the warehouse is torn down and damaged from either straight by line winds or tornado,’ tweeted Jenna Rae, with Illinois’s KMOV station.
One woman stated that she was speaking with a relative in the warehouse at the time the storm came.
Aisha White said that ‘He was on-the-phone with me during it was occurring,’ KMOV reported.
The tornado had struck the back of our building and trucks were approaching. He was told to duck by me.
“We watched as the building went up. Stuff was hitting the cars. He asked me if I was heading that way.
J.B. Pritzker, governor of Illinois, tweeted: ‘My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I’ve reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources.’
Dean Flener of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency confirmed that three deaths related to storms were reported in Tennessee. Two deaths were in Lake County while the third occurred in Obion County. These are both located in the northeast corner of the state.
Dean Flener of Tennessee’s Emergency Management Agency stated that the weather caused severe weather in Tennessee and killed three people. This was according to comments made by The Washington Post.
The Monette Manor nursing facility in Arkansas was also hit by a tornado on Friday night. One person died and 20 were trapped as it collapsed. Craighead County Judge Marvin Day reported to The Associated Press.
He said that five people sustained serious injuries and some others suffered minor wounds. There are 86 beds in the nursing home.
Day stated that a Truman nursing home was 20 miles from Truman. However, there were no reported injuries. Because the building was unsafe, residents had to be evacuated.
The tornado that struck near the Weldon Spring office of National Weather Service, Missouri was a severe storm. A building collapse near New Melle (both just a few kilometers from the Weather Service office) resulted in one death and two other injuries.
A freight train operated by CSX was stranded in Kentucky due to storms. However, no injuries have been reported according to The New York Times.
According to the Times, Bill Bunting (operations chief, Storm Prediction Center), part of the National Weather Service said that at least five states were affected by tornadoes. He named them Illinois, Kentucky Tennessee, Missouri, Missouri, and Arkansas.
“It occurs quickly, but it appears there was some time when tornado sirens went off.”
He said that some residents had been found in basements and were ‘prepared for this’.
A large number of trees had to be uprooted, and an unsettling shadow hovered over Mayfield, Kentucky.
Mayfield, Kentucky, was the site of destruction after Friday’s tornado that ripped through its centre and tore the Victorian courthouse tower down,
Kentucky town Mayfield was destroyed. The people trapped within the rubble of the candle factory were desperate to escape.
Arkansas tornadoes were captured in photographs posted online by Arkansas social media users on Friday night
Two people were killed in the nursing home collapse in Monette Arkansas. Emergency personnel responded quickly.
Melissa Moon (a reporter for WREG3) tweeted a photo showing the Monette Manor nursing facility in severe damage, along with what appeared like a mangled car bed.
On Friday night, it wasn’t known the speed of tornadoes and how many they were. CNN reports that 19 tornadoes struck the state.
According to some reports, the record for longest single tornado, 219 miles, could have been broken. The record had already crossed four states before it was set another record.
Observers suggested that tornadoes could have been as high as four to five feet on the Enhanced Fujita scale (EF).
EF4 tornadoes can reach speeds between 136mph and 165mph, while EF5 tornadoes are capable of reaching winds of up to 200 m/s.
Twitter user @WxAtlantic tweeted, “This tornado was so strong it literally broken Radarscope velocity,”
“The couplet is just folding over because the delta velocity was so high.
Southern Illinois Fire Incidents, located almost 300 miles north of Monette confirmed that there was a “mass casualty” at Edwardsville’s Amazon warehouse. They also stated that more than 20 emergency response units were on the scene.
In Kentucky, Mayfield, home to over 10,000 residents was hit hard.
Large trees were felled and buildings were left without roofs. Glass in stores was broken, debris was scattered around the grounds.
This 1888-built courthouse was completely destroyed. The tower was removed and the roof torn off.
People were trapped inside the factory’s wall when it collapsed.
“We were hit by a storm – I work in Mayfield and are trapped,” Kyanna Lou said. She broadcast a Facebook live from darkness with a woman crying behind her, muffled screams, and moans.
‘Please, y’all. We need your help. We are at Mayfield’s candle factory.
“Please send some assistance. I am encircled by the wall. Please pray for us. Please pray for us.
Then she added, “We all were in safe shelter. But the entire building collapsed.” Now we are trapped.
Miguel Macias inspects the destruction to Emmanuel Baptist Church, where he sought shelter after the tornado that struck Mayfield, Kentucky.
Amazon Warehouse in Edwardsville (IL) was photographed Friday night, with the roof torn away by a tornado.
As emergency personnel tried to rescue those stuck in Amazon’s warehouse, lightning bolts could be seen from a distance.
Mayfield KY storefronts were opened and the contents dumped onto the sidewalk
Callie Lemle is the wife and president Graves County Economic Development Jason Lemle. She told WPSD that Jason was in Mayfield Consumer Products, a candle factory.
She claimed that people were digging through the rubble in an attempt to free people trapped inside, and they could hear the cries from those who had been left behind.
Her husband said that she needed more volunteers. Anyone with headlamps, gloves or equipment to dig was welcomed.
According to storm trackers, Mayfield was one of the hardest hit areas by severe storms, with debris being thrown up to 30,000 feet in the air.
Brett Adair, Live Storms Media said that Mayfield was the scene of ‘absolute destruction’.
Craig Ceecee is a Mississippi State University meteorologist and researcher who described the Mayfield Storm as “among the strongest ever recorded”.
It was described as an “extremely violent tornado”.
‘Communities being hit hard. We won’t be able to see how severe it really is until the morning. He tweeted, “We have to pray and think for the people being affected.”
And across the region, tornadoes on Friday night ripped through parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky – with one becoming what a storm chaser said was the first quad-state tornado in U.S. history.
The footage was captured on social media across the region and showed large swirling towers storm clouds moving across the plains.
Photographs of the tornado were taken by storm chasers along I-55 near Caruthersville Missouri.
Multiple semis were seen in video being placed on their backs and then twisted into the road.
Chris Jackson is a storm chaser who has seen professional storm chasers lift tractor trailers from Steele Missouri and throw them into the air.
He wrote, “A second tractor wagon was taken up and thrown along I-55 near exit 17”
“Just talked to the driver. It has some small cuts, but everything is fine.
Jackson stated that the emergency response teams were racing to assist people in need, their lights flashing and they were rushing to get there.
He stated that power had been cut along I-69, between Troy and Mayfield in Kentucky.
Mayfield was founded in 1902 and its main street was destroyed by Hurricane Irene.
A number of Victorian buildings on the site were damaged badly, including the Courthouse (built in 1888) – which was the fourth building like this. In 1990, the courthouse was restored.
According to Graves County’s economic development board, 35% of Mayfield residents are considered living in poverty.
On Friday night, the governor of Kentucky declared an emergency.
Andy Beshear called in the Kentucky Guard to activate the Kentucky State Police and Kentucky Guard to help with the response to the damage to western Kentucky.
Kentucky State Police is being assisted by multiple agencies.
Beshear stated in a tweet that “We are praying for Western Kentucky families,”