Severe thunderstorms ripped through the Midwest destroying homes and in the process killing three people as they head to the east as forecast by the U.S. National Weather Service.
CNN meteorologist Michael Guy predicts that about 100 million people face the danger of severe weather destruction in the better part of the afternoon hours.
According to the National Weather Service, the sates of Lowa, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois and Missouri were at the mercy of 22 tornadoes.
How the Powerful Tornadoes killed the three
The first man to be killed was in Missouri driving down the freeway when the powerful tornado pushed about 20 cars from a junkyard onto the Interstate, reported the Missouri Highway State Patrol Sergeant Al Nothum. Other drivers and passengers were also injured in the process as three tractor trailer rigs were hit by debris, reports CNN.
The power of the tornadoes can be well described by their ability to pick 15 to 20 old cars and blow them over such a long distance.
The Ottawa, Illinois authorities explained that the other man died after a falling tree struck him. The tree also hit some other residents injuring them.
Another man was found dead in the field and is believed to have been killed after his home was heavily damaged. The man’s wife is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital after sustaining a number of injuries as explained by Mark Pierce, the public works supervisor with the Village of Crossville, Illinois.
The risk is shifting
But the powerful disastrous thunderstorms are changing course, shifting the risk towards areas farther east.
The Storm Prediction Center reported that they expect the widespread wind damage to cut through Tennessee and Kentucky. “Severe thunderstorms will continue to spread across the Ohio and Tennessee Valley regions into the Middle Atlantic States, possibly into southern New England by mid afternoon. Damaging winds are the primary severe threat, though a few tornadoes and hail will be possible, especially west of the Appalachians,” said the center via a statement.
Screams of people
While speaking to KTVI, J.R. Wright said that he was driving through Perryville when he encountered what he briefly termed “disaster zone”. He said that cars were blown off the road and upon jumping out of his car, all he could hear were people screaming and crying as they called for help. Three women could be seen running up and down the road as they tried to locate their husbands.
Sheriff Gary Schaaf said that all the Perryville affected by the Tuesday night storms have been accounted for.
They are now engaged in clearing the roads so they can be usable once again.
Apart from tornadoes and strong winds, the National Weather Center also recorded a substantial amount of hail.
