A monster tornado has torn apart the Arkansas capital, Little Rock, just a week after more than two dozen deadly tornadoes tore through Mississippi and parts of Alabama, killing at least 26 people.
Footage of the wild weather system was filmed from the 7th floor of Little Rock Baptist Medical Center. The person filming could be heard gasping at the massive swirling twister.
A man who appeared unaware of the vortex was filmed on the roof of another building as the powerful tornado – reportedly reaching level 3 or “mass casualty” magnitude – headed towards him.
Another video following the massive system revealed debris strewn on the streets of Little Rock, which is just three hours northwest of Rolling Fork, where deadly storms raged last week.
A monster tornado has torn apart the Arkansas capital, Little Rock, just a week after more than two dozen deadly tornadoes tore through Mississippi and parts of Alabama, killing at least 26 people
Tornado warnings were issued Friday to 21 states home to nearly 90 million people — conditions forecasters said could be similar to those that caused death and destruction in the South last week.
People in much of the Midwest and Southern US are being warned to prepare for hazardous weather including tornadoes this afternoon.
An outbreak of severe thunderstorms can also bring hail and damaging wind gusts, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center.
Major population centers at greatest risk for storms beginning Friday afternoon include Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock and Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
But people throughout eastern Iowa, western and northern Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas should also be prepared, said northern Illinois meteorology professor and tornado expert Victor Gensini.
The warnings come just a week after a series of devastating tornadoes tore through Mississippi and parts of Alabama. These storms wiped out cities and one cut a deadly path 170 miles, leaving at least 25 dead across the two states.
Gensini said Friday’s atmospheric setup was similar to conditions experienced during Mississippi’s deadly storm.
“There will be a lot of thunderstorms … tornadoes, destructive winds and big hail,” he said.
People in areas where the latest warnings are in effect should stock emergency supplies, prepare for power outages, avoid stranding in places at risk from falling trees or heavy hail and park vehicles in garages whenever possible, weather forecasters said.
The bad weather could also extend to Chicago, where forecasters warned of a “relatively rare, significant severe weather threat” that includes high winds, tornadoes and large hail.
The store’s interior was damaged after a severe storm swept through Little Rock on Friday
A car was seen overturned in a Kroger parking lot after a severe storm swept through Little Rock
Emergency services checked people in a parking lot after a heavy storm hit
A building is damaged and trees have fallen after the severe storm
The dangerous forecast is the result of strong southerly winds carrying copious amounts of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico north, where they will interact with the strengthening storm system.
In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem on Friday ordered state executive offices to close in parts of the state as freezing rain, snow and high winds were expected. Snowstorm or ice storm warnings have been issued in many counties.
The Weather Service is also forecasting another series of intense storms next Tuesday in the same general area as last week. At least the first 10 days of April will be rough, Accuweather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
Last Friday night’s vicious tornado in Mississippi killed dozens of people, injured many others and flattened entire city blocks as it carved a path of destruction for more than an hour.
About 2,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
The toll was particularly high in western Mississippi’s Sharkey County, where 13 people were killed in a county of 3,700 people. Winds up to 200 mph swept through the rural farming town of Rolling Fork, reducing homes to rubble, overturning cars and bringing down the town’s water tower.
Bill Bunting, head of the Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center for forecasting operations, said people need to have a severe weather plan that includes multiple ways to get storm warning information.
There are storm warnings covering around 21 states with a population of 90 million. A map from NOAA shows much of the Midwest and South with extreme weather on Friday
First Lady Jill Biden and President Joe Biden offered their prayers and support for the small Mississippi town
Crowds gathered to listen as Biden spoke to residents in Rolling Fork, where he had traveled to survey the damage
Biden greeted local residents after the deadly weekend of tornadoes and storms in Rolling Fork
Biden boarded Air Force One Friday morning to visit Rolling Fork with the First Lady
“We have all seen the coverage of the heartbreaking situations in other parts of the country. We sincerely hope that people will heed Friday’s threat projections that have been released for the past few days,” Bunting said.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden traveled to Rolling Fork on Friday.
Biden is expected to announce that the federal government will assume the entire cost of the Mississippi’s emergency response for the next 30 days, including overtime for first responders and debris removal.
The President and First Lady will assess the damage, meet with storm-affected homeowners and first responders, and receive operational briefing from federal and state officials.
They are expected to be joined by Gov. Tate Reeves, Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Rep. Bennie Thompson.
In a statement after the tornado, Biden vowed the federal government would “do whatever it takes to help.”
“We’ll be there as long as it takes,” he said. “We will work together to provide you with the support you need in your recovery.”
Presidents regularly visit parts of the United States that have been hit by natural disasters or have suffered great casualties from shootings or other disasters.
The warnings come just a week after a series of devastating tornadoes tore through Mississippi and parts of Alabama. Pictured: A pickup truck sits atop a restaurant cooler at Chuck’s Dairy Cafe in Rolling Fork, Mississippi
A woman sits among the rubble of a home as clean-up efforts continue after Friday’s tornado in Rolling Fork
Last week’s severe weather event generated hail the size of golf balls as it swept through several southern states
A rescuer is seen March 25 in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, wading through the debris after the rural town was hit by tornadoes that left 25 dead
Women hug between the rubble of a home as clean-up efforts continue after Friday’s tornado March 28, 2023 in Rolling Fork
A woman walks near an uprooted tree, an overturned vehicle and debris from homes damaged by a tornado in Rolling Fork on Monday, March 27, 2023
Republicans have criticized Biden for not yet traveling to the site of a toxic chemical plague in a small Ohio town.
He must also decide whether to visit Nashville after three children and three adults are shot at Covenant School.
Last week’s storm makes life even more difficult in an already economically troubled area.
Mississippi is one of the poorest states, and the majority-black delta has long been one of the poorest parts of the state — a place where many people live paycheck to paycheck, often in jobs related to agriculture.