A deadly tornado outbreak spawned more than 20 reports of twisters across the lower and mid-Mississippi Valley on Wednesday and Wednesday night.
At least six people have died in Tennessee due to the severe weather, the state’s Department of Health confirmed early Thursday. The storms also injured multiple others and destroyed several homes from Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee through Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump approved the disaster declaration for all 95 counties in Tennessee, setting in motion FEMA’s response to disaster relief across the state.
In Missouri, Whitewater Fire Protection District Chief Garry Moore was killed during severe weather on Wednesday night along Highway 25 between Advance and Delta, Missouri. Cape Girardeau County Coroner Craig Williams told FOX Weather Moore was likely attempting to help a vehicle when he was killed.
A massive tornado was spotted by FOX Weather Storm Tracker Brandon Copic as it roared near Lake City, Arkansas. Authorities issued a Tornado Emergency – the most dire of tornado alerts – for towns in the path of the storm, such as Leachville and Monette.
“You need to be underground,” Copic said. “You will not survive this tornado if you are above ground.”
And that is just what residents likely did, as local authorities reported fewer than a dozen injured despite significant damage to homes and some businesses in Arkansas.
