Latest updates on Saturday:Tornadoes and severe storms tear through the South and Midwest
A tornado outbreak caused widespread chaos Friday evening, killing four people and injuring dozens, as federal forecasters warned of rare tornado emergencies and confirmed tornadoes across several states.
A tornado ripped through neighborhoods on the west side of Little Rock, Arkansas, claiming at least one life, the Associated Press reported. It destroyed homes and apartment buildings, overturned vehicles and prompted search and rescue efforts.
More tornadoes were confirmed in Iowa and wind-driven grass fires ignited in Oklahoma, where the storm system threatened a wide swath of the country, home to about 85 million people.
In Belvedere, Illinois, the roof of the Apollo Theater collapsed on heavy metal concertgoers as a storm swept through the area, causing multiple injuries, the Rockford Register Star, a USA TODAY Network affiliate, reported. Officials said late Friday that one person had died and 28 others were injured. Dozens of ambulances were called to the scene, where paramedics provided care for the wounded.
Belvidere Fire Chief Sean Shadle said 260 people were on the scene at the time. First responders also rescued a person from an elevator and had to deal with downed power lines outside the theater, he said.
Belvidere Police Chief Shane Woody described the scene after the collapse as “chaos, absolute chaos.”
Gabrielle Llewellyn had just entered the theater when part of the ceiling collapsed.
“I was there within a minute before it fell,” she told WTVO-TV. “As I was walking towards the building, the wind speed went from zero to a thousand in five seconds.”
Llewellyn, who was not injured, said some people rushed to lift the collapsed portion of the roof and pull people from under the rubble.
He added, “They pulled a person from under the rubble, and I sat with him, held his hand, and told him, 'Everything will be fine.'” “I didn't really know much about what to do.”
Another tornado tore through the city of Wayne in eastern Arkansas, killing two people, trapping others in debris and causing widespread damage. The weather service in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa and Tennessee confirmed more than seven tornadoes and large hail.
The devastating weather came as President Joe Biden was touring the aftermath of a deadly tornado that struck Mississippi a week ago and the government promised to help the region recover.
Storm threats continued Friday throughout the evening, with the National Weather Service warning that superstorms were increasing the risk of tornadoes across east-central Arkansas near the Mississippi-Tennessee border. He urged residents to take shelter in basements and interior rooms away from windows.
Storms raced through the Mississippi Valley on Friday just a week after another tornado outbreak killed 21 people in Mississippi, including a long-tracked tornado that destroyed much of the Rolling Fork and brought President Joe Biden into the community on Friday.
Forecasters are also warning that the Mississippi Valley will face another round of severe storms and a possible tornado outbreak on Tuesday.
Is a tornado watch or warning worse?:What do you know about preparing for these violent storms?
Read more:A bad hurricane season in the United States is set to get worse
Tornado emergency in Arkansas
Dozens were injured as a tornado tore through Little Rock during one of several “tornado emergencies” Friday as a powerful storm system moved through the Mississippi River Valley. A hurricane emergency is issued when there is a serious threat to human life or imminent or ongoing catastrophic damage.
The Little Rock Fire Department reported heavy damage and debris. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center in Little Rock is operating at a mass casualty level and is preparing to receive up to 20 patients, spokeswoman Leslie Taylor said. Officials with Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock told KATV in the afternoon that 21 people were admitted there with tornado injuries, including five in critical condition.
Mayor Frank Scott Jr. tweeted that city officials were aware of 24 people hospitalized, and said property damage was “extensive.”
Earlier in the afternoon, he requested assistance from the Arkansas National Guard. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders activated 100 State Guard members to respond to damage across the state.
“Severe damage has occurred in central Arkansas… We pray for everyone who was and is in the path of this storm. Arkansans must continue to remain weather aware as storms continue to move in,” Sanders tweeted.
The Meteorological Department issued a Separate hurricane emergency It was late Friday afternoon for the eastern Arkansas towns of Parkin and Earl when the tornado struck Wayne. The tornado prompted emergency responders to attempt to close a portion of Interstate 55 in Marion, just west of Memphis.
The tornado destroyed buildings, damaged Wayne High School, overturned cars, and tore off roofs, reported The Commercial Appeal, a USA TODAY Network newspaper in Memphis.
The tornadoes were moving at 55 to 60 miles per hour.
By 11:00 PM ET, more than 300,000 customers were without power in eight states as storms moved east with winds of 60-70 mph. More than 100,000 customers were without power in Illinois, according to poweroutage.us, a website that tracks power outages. The site reported outages for up to 80,000 customers in Arkansas earlier in the evening. Power outages were also reported in Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee and Iowa.
Tornadoes cause damage in Iowa, Illinois, and Tennessee
In Clinton County, Iowa, the sheriff's office asked people to stay home after a “strong storm system” passed through. The agency reported that a house collapsed on people.
In Charlotte, Iowa, a storm destroyed a 10,000-gallon propane tank, with wind fears prompting authorities to evacuate about half of the city's 400 residents, the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
the pictures:Tornado damage in the Iowa City area
The storms also caused damage in eastern Iowa, where residents are working to help neighbors salvage their belongings from storm-damaged homes in the Hills, and a shelter has been set up in Coralville for people who lost their homes, the Register reported.
In Covington, Tennessee, the city's police department posted on Facebook that the city was “unpassable,” the Commercial Appeals Authority said. Several homes and buildings in Tipton County were also damaged.
Late in the evening, strong winds of 60 to 70 mph were reported across much of the area. At one point, the Weather Service office in Memphis reported power outages and a generator running as storms continued to batter the area.
Tornado surveys
Experts at weather service field offices across the region plan to begin tornado damage surveys early Saturday morning. They will begin the process of determining the size of tornadoes and the time and duration they were on the ground.
Early warnings
On Friday morning, an estimated 89 million people in at least 15 states — from Texas to Alabama in the south and into Wisconsin and Michigan in the north — were warned of a “high risk” of “explosive” storms, with thunderstorms possible. For long-term violent hurricanes. This was the first time in two years that the center issued a “high risk” warning, and this time there were two warnings.
Meanwhile, heavy snow and strong winds created blizzard-like conditions in South Dakota.
What is a tornado emergency?
A step above a tornado warning, issued by the National Weather Service in “extremely rare” situations, when:
There is a serious threat to human life or imminent or ongoing catastrophic damage.
Visual or radar evidence, such as a reliable source, confirms the presence of a tornado or radar picks up the signature of a ball of debris within the tornado.
Biden visited a town in Mississippi that was hit by the hurricane
President Joe Biden on Friday visited areas hit hard by last week's hurricanes. Rolling Fork and neighboring Silver City, Mississippi, lost about 300 homes and businesses, and hundreds of other buildings were severely damaged.
President and First Lady Jill Biden surveyed hurricane damage, met with affected homeowners and first responders and received an operational briefing from federal and state officials.
They were joined by Governor Tate Reeves, Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, and Representative Bennie Thompson.
Biden announced that the federal government will cover the total cost of emergency measures in the state over the next 30 days, including overtime for first responders and debris cleanup.
Is a tornado watch or warning worse?:What do you know about preparing for these violent storms?
Hurricane preparedness tips
It's always important to have an emergency plan in case of severe weather, including designating a “safe spot” in your home, preferably away from windows and in an indoor room, the weather service says.
Keep supplies on hand such as flashlights, batteries, food, water, clothing, and shoes
You have multiple ways to get updates, including real-time alerts, local TV reports, weather apps, and NOAA Weather Radio.
“I think the first message people need to know is they need to be prepared,” said Pam Knox, director of the University of Georgia Weather Network. “Don't rely on outdoor sirens as a warning. Instead, have your weather radio or smartphone ready.
“And know where to go if you hear a tornado warning,” she said.
It's been a bad start to the hurricane season in the United States
With 311 tornadoes as of Thursday hitting the United States It has already had the third-busiest start to a year on record.
“We should be at about 200 tornadoes as of today's date,” Victor Gensini, an assistant professor at Northern Illinois University, told USA TODAY. “So we're experiencing about 100 tornadoes above average, and we have been all year.”
Read more:A bad hurricane season in the United States is expected to get worse
US weather monitoring and warnings
A blizzard warning has been issued for the Plains, Upper Great Lakes region
The storm system itself is expected to produce a band of heavy snow, with a blizzard possible from the central Plains into the upper Great Lakes region Friday into Saturday, Larson said.
The Meteorological Department issued a A blizzard warning is in place Friday afternoon through Saturday morning for a large swath of South Dakota and neighboring states.
Some locations in South Dakota could accumulate up to 20 inches of snow due to the storm, the weather service said.
More winter weather in the Northwest
Meanwhile in parts of Oregon and Washington, A A winter storm warning is in effect through Sunday, with snow accumulations of up to 48 inches possible
Higher elevations in the Cascades, winds up to 40 mph.
Winter storm map
National weather radar
More coverage from USA Today
Contributing: The Associated Press, The Commercial Appeal and The Des Moines Register.
