At Least 9 Dead, Dozens Injured As Tornados Wreak Havoc Across America’s Heartland

Powerful storms swept across America’s heartland Friday into early Saturday, resulting in at least nine deaths, injuring dozens, and causing significant damage to homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure, reported CNN. 

There were 60 preliminary tornado reports in seven states, with Arkansas being hit hard as it experienced at least five deaths, four in the eastern Arkansas town of Wynne and one in North Little Rock. 

A storm in Indiana claimed the lives of three people and caused damage to homes and a volunteer fire station near Sullivan, a city approximately 95 miles southwest of Indianapolis. 

In Madison County, Alabama, authorities reported one fatality and five injuries during an overnight storm.

Officials in Arkansas’ Pulaski County said at least 50 people were rushed to local hospitals after a “large and destructive tornado” roared through the area. 

On Saturday morning, Mayor Frank Scott told CNN that storm damage in Little Rock is “devastating.” 

Little Rock got hit hardpic.twitter.com/UKmNMGy3WT

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) March 31, 2023

Little Rock was hammered by a massive, fast moving tornado this afternoon. Aftermath footage.pic.twitter.com/sZ16BrVGsv

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) March 31, 2023

WATCH: Drone footage shows tornado damage in Little Rock, Arkansas.

We’re LIVE on The Weather Channel. pic.twitter.com/ArYgMhEgPH

— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) March 31, 2023

The Damage in Little Rock is looking bad so far… pic.twitter.com/gXa3s9bOIF

— Matt Couch (@RealMattCouch) March 31, 2023

More than 250,000 customers in Indiana, Minnesota, Arkansas, Illinois, and Wisconsin are without power, according to PowerOutage.us, with Indiana and Minnesota reporting the most outages.

More severe weather is expected today, as “scattered strong-severe thunderstorms are expected across parts of the Ohio Valley and Northeast and over the Southeastern US. Wind, hail, and a few tornadoes are possible,” the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center warned.