Several States Hit Hard By Tornadoes, Multiple Deaths And Injuries Reported
An outbreak of tornadoes and severe storms swept through multiple states on Friday night leaving a trail of destruction and debris.
Tornadoes were spotted throughout the night in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee, with multiple deaths and injuries reported.
The town of Mayfield, Kentucky was hit particularly hard, with a candle factory being destroyed while people were working inside. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said via a phone call to Louisville station WLKY-TV on Saturday morning that at least 110 people were inside the building when the tornado hit.
“We believe we’ll lose at least dozens of those individuals,” Beshear said. "It’s very hard, really tough, and we’re praying for each and every one of those families.”
Beshear said the single tornado ripped through the state for about 200 miles. Beshear has declared a state of emergency and submitted a request to President Joe Biden for an immediate federal emergency declaration.
"I want to personally thank every local EMS employee, police officer, firefighter and first responder," Beshear wrote on Twitter. "And to all of our Kentucky families impacted by these devastating tornados, we want you to know we are here for you and we are praying for you."
An Amazon fulfillment center in Edwardsville, Illinois experienced heavy damage, while as many as 50 to 100 employees were working inside. At around 8:30 p.m., a portion of the building collapsed, per FOX 2 of St. Louis. Police bused at least 30 people away from the scene, while 40 employees were transported to the Pontoon Beach Police Department.
One man inside the building during the collapse spoke with KMOV-TV of St. Louis and said he saw people buried under debris and cars tossed into a retention pond.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has since issued a statement on Twitter, expressing his support for those affected.
"My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight," Pritzker wrote. "And I've reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources."
FOX 16 of Little Rock reports that the Monette Manor Nursing Home in Monette, Arkansas was hit directly, leaving at least 20 people trapped inside. Two deaths have been reported and five injuries.
While various numbers of loss of life have been reported, there is currently no confirmation on an exact number as first responders continue to navigate through debris.
US StormWatch reports that the tornado outbreak is one of the most deadly and destructive in recent memory. It's perhaps the longest tornado track recorded in U.S. history.
This is a developing story. For more updates, please go to Fox News.
Follow Nick Geddes on Twitter @NickGeddesNews and on Instagram @nick.geddes.