Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

Breaking News
posted by martyb on Sunday December 12 2021, @03:45AM   Printer-friendly

At least 100 feared dead after tornadoes devastate six US states:

US President Joe Biden has pledged support to states affected by a swarm of devastating tornadoes that demolished homes, levelled businesses and left at least 100 people feared dead.

Describing the tornadoes as likely "one of the largest" storm outbreaks in history, Biden on Saturday approved an emergency disaster declaration for the worst-hit state of Kentucky, where at least 22 people have been confirmed dead.

"It's a tragedy," said a shaken Biden. "And we still don't know how many lives are lost and the full extent of the damage."

He added, "I promise you, whatever is needed – whatever is needed – the federal government is going to find a way to provide it."

The powerful twisters, which weather forecasters say are unusual in cooler months, destroyed a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, ripped through a nursing home in neighbouring Arkansas, and killed at least six workers at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the collection of tornadoes was the most destructive in the state's history. He said about 40 workers had been rescued at the candle factory, which had about 110 people inside when it was reduced to a pile of rubble.

[...] Mayfield Fire Chief Jeremy Creason, whose own station was destroyed, said the candle factory was diminished to a "pile of bent metal and steel and machinery" and that responders had to at times "crawl over casualties to get to live victims".

[...] The tornado outbreak was triggered by a series of overnight thunderstorms, including a supercell storm that formed in northeast Arkansas. That storm moved from Arkansas and Missouri and into Tennessee and Kentucky.

Unusually high temperatures and humidity created the environment for such an extreme weather event at this time of year, said Victor Gensini, a professor in geographic and atmospheric sciences at Northern Illinois University.

"This is an historic, if not generational event," Gensini said.

If early reports are confirmed, the twister may have touched down for nearly 250 miles (400km), he said, a path length longer than the longest tornado on record, which tracked for about 220 miles (355 km) through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana in March 1925.

[...] The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said it received 36 reports of tornadoes touching down in Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

[...] In Edwardsville, Illinois, Fire Chief James Whiteford said at least six people were killed when an Amazon warehouse collapsed. Some 45 people survived.

[...] In Monette, Arkansas, one person was killed and five seriously injured when a tornado tore through a nursing home with 90 beds.

Also at phys.org, CNET, and CNN


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 12 2021, @05:35PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 12 2021, @05:35PM (#1204312)

    We need President Biden to make a sprawling speech about how State mismanagement caused the tornado and that's why he won't authorize federal help. That would be sweet.

    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   -1  
       Offtopic=1, Flamebait=1, Underrated=1, Total=3
    Extra 'Flamebait' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   -1  
  • (Score: 1, Offtopic) by TheGratefulNet on Sunday December 12 2021, @06:13PM

    by TheGratefulNet (659) on Sunday December 12 2021, @06:13PM (#1204342)

    we need the right to come back (well, closer, anyway) to their senses so we can start to repair this country and get back to actual living.

    its so tiring having to fight wedge issues just to placate the right and give their bored idiot something to do other than whittling wood and burning crosses on lawns.

    the right can decide to stop the war THEY CREATED at any time, now.

    any time you are ready, guys.

    but until then, go ahead and continue to fuck off and die. deny the vaccine and keep dying. eventually we'll fix this problem. just a shame you guys had to learn it the hard way.

    oh well.

    --
    "It is now safe to switch off your computer."