As many as 32 people have been killed after a slew of tornadoes tore through parts of the southern and midwestern US in recent days, leaving immense destruction and debris in its path, according to officials.
A monster storm system struck at least eight states over the weekend, prompting at least 50 preliminary reports of tornadoes. The states affected include Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Delaware and Alabama.
Home to 85 million people, the affected area saw at least 900,000 places without power after the storms began tearing through Friday evening.
On Sunday morning, Joe Biden announced the approval of an expedited major disaster declaration to quickly provide federal assistance to Arkansas. The president also announced that federal organizations are working closely with Indiana and other impacted states as the storms’ widespread damage remains under assessment.
“We … stand ready to respond to any additional requests for federal assistance,” said Biden, adding, “There’s nothing we can do to heal the hole left in the hearts of far too many families who lost loved ones this weekend, but we will be there every step of the way as they rebuild and recover.”
Tennessee, one of the hardest-hit states, had nine deaths related to the weather, according to the Memphis-based news channel WREG. A tornado there twisted trees, flattened homes into piles of wooden boards and ripped walls from still-standing structures.
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