HARRISBURG, Illinois: A deadly string of tornadoes cut a swath of destruction across the US midwest, killing at least nine people and threatening scores more as a massive storm pushed eastward Wednesday.
Homes were smashed to bits, cars were tossed into lakes, huge trees were torn from ground and shops were reduced to rubble in towns from Nebraska to Kentucky as the powerful system whipped up strong winds, hail and the dreaded funnel clouds.
The town of Harrisburg, Illinois was the hardest hit after it was ripped apart by a deadly twister that stayed on the ground for miles, striking while most were still sleeping at around 4.30am (1030 GMT.) At least six people were killed and more than 100 injured in this southern Illinois town of 9,000.
The monster twister packed winds up to 270 kilometres per hour and damaged or destroyed up to 300 homes and 25 businesses, smashing a strip mall to bits and tearing a wall off the local hospital.
“A lot of the houses are unreal, it’s like a war zone,” fire chief Bill Summers told reporters.
Rescue crews were digging through the rubble to search for survivors, but Summers said that by late afternoon all those who had been reported missing had been accounted for.
Harrisburg mayor Eric Gregg called the destruction and loss of life “devastating” and vowed to protect and care for those who were hurt and displaced.
“Dealing with a tornado like this is heartbreaking,” Gregg said at a press conference.
“We will build this city. We will make this city strong. This will not stop us. It will make us stronger.”
Angela Capps was among those who sought shelter at the First Baptist Church.
A neighbour called her to warn her of the oncoming twister, so Capps and her children were able to take cover and escape injury.
“Even right now, we’re emotionally fine,” Capps said as she sat with her neighbour while their children played nearby at the Harrisburg shelter.
“We haven’t cried yet, for the kids. I’m sure we’ll go in the bathroom eventually and bawl our eyes out.”
The National Weather Service has received 30 reports of tornadoes in six states since the storm began Tuesday, battering Nebraska and Kansas, then moving eastward to Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky.
Severe thunderstorms were expected to continue to pound Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee Wednesday before moving to the eastern seaboard.
“It’s a very large storm,” said Corey Mead, lead forecaster for the weather service’s storm prediction centre. — AFP