A tornado has been ongoing in the United States for several days, causing serious damage to the central and southern parts of the country. According to American media, residential buildings, infrastructure, and schools are being destroyed.
Emergency declarations have been made in Arkansas, Georgia, and Oklahoma. ABC News reported that over the weekend, people in more than 20 states faced nearly a thousand storms, and as of today, the tornado has resulted in 42 fatalities. In 9 states, the tornado risk has been assessed as extremely high. In Missouri, 12 people, in Kansas 8 people, and in Mississippi 6 people have become victims of the tornado. The presence of young children among the deceased has caused grief among Americans.
Specifically, in North Carolina, 11 and 13-year-old siblings were killed due to a tree falling as a result of a strong tornado. The government has confirmed this. Matthew Owen, the head of the city's emergency management department, posted on Facebook that the tree fell into the bedroom of the two siblings. The house was engulfed in flames, and when firefighters arrived, other family members inside reported that there were children, but unfortunately, they could not be rescued.
Matthew Owen informed ABC News that the tornado in Mississippi was traveling at 111 miles per hour, which is approximately 180 kilometers per hour. Officials confirmed that at least 3 people were swept away by the wind in Mississippi. Hotels in the states are filling up with those who have been left homeless due to the tornado. It is reported that 250 camps will be established in the coming weeks specifically for those affected by the tornado.
The tornado is also causing destruction in Alabama, where wind speeds have reached between 136 and 165 miles per hour, which is nearly 265 kilometers per hour. I never thought the wind could be so strong that it would lead to destruction, says Owens, who lives in Plantersville, Alabama. He is shedding tears for having lost his mother. He says his mother was trapped inside a collapsing house.
In the city of Vinterboro, Alabama, the damage from the natural disaster is quite severe, as the wind has destroyed a middle school. The wind, which reached speeds of 120 miles per hour or 193 km/h, lifted a school bus and crashed it into the gym. County rescuers confirmed that an 83-year-old resident living in front of the school in Vinterboro was killed.
The tornado has destroyed over 400 homes in Oklahoma, and nearly 150 people have been hospitalized with injuries. The strong winds caused forest fires over the weekend. Currently, fire risks are at a red level in Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. Especially on Tuesday, that is today, there may be fiery conditions for the western part of Texas and New Mexico, and people have been warned about this.
Parts of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, and North Carolina are under flood warnings, BBC reported.
President Donald Trump has mobilized the National Guard to combat the tornado. On his social media platforms, he called on people to pray more. Join us in prayer due to these storms that have deeply troubled me and Melania, Trump wrote.
The President of Uzbekistan sent a condolence letter to Donald Trump on March 17 regarding the damage and casualties caused by the tornado. This was announced by the president's press secretary, Sherzod Asadov.
