Severe tornadoes shatter the southern state, leave 30 fatalities

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Severe tornadoes, that hit the southern states over the weekend up to Monday, killed more than 30 individuals and left one million homes and businesses destroyed.
• Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said that the storms were “as bad or worse than anything” they witnessed in a decade.
• Residents were in a more difficult situation as they face the aftershock of the severe storm while battling against the coronavirus.

Over 30 people were killed, and one million homes and businesses were shattered by strong tornadoes that roamed across the south over the weekend up to Monday — worsening the condition given the present struggle from the coronavirus pandemic.

In Alabama, citizens gathered in community shelters to seek sanctuary while wearing masks to protect themselves against COVID-19.

In Mississippi, a twister shattered a home except for a concrete room which left a married couple and their children unharmed. There were 11 deaths in the state.

In the mountains of north Georgia, about 85 miles from Atlanta, a couple also remained unharmed while in bed, while the rest of their house was wiped out by a suspected twister.

In Georgia, eight people died based on the coroners, while in South Carolina, nine died according to Governor Henry McMaster.

In Arkansas and North Carolina dead bodies were found under falling trees or inside collapsed buildings.

In Tennessee, authorities said three people were killed at Chattanooga. Fire Chief Phil Hyman noted that a dozen people were injured, and at least 150 houses and commercial buildings were destroyed.

According to Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, the storms were “as bad or worse than anything we’ve seen in a decade.”

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said some storm victims were already unemployed because of shutdowns due to COVID-19, and “Now they have lost literally everything they own.”

Some local leaders were enforced to suspend social distancing protocols given the storm effects. Some residents whose homes were destroyed decided to stay with relatives.

In Louisiana, hundreds of homes in Monroe and other parts of north Louisiana were damaged. Governor John Bel Edwards described it a “miracle” that there were no serious casualties recorded. The governor had to keep distant from victims because of the social distancing order on the coronavirus pandemic.

In North Alabama, Pastor Mahlon LeCroix said the pandemic “turned out to be a blessing” for making him switch to online services to avoid public gatherings — preventing more than 200 people from gathering at the Shoal Creek Baptist church over the weekend. The storm brought lightning that struck the church building on fire.

Hundreds of reports of trees down across the region, as well as punctured roofs and downed power lines were recorded by the National Weather Service.

Meanwhile, mid-Atlantic states were warned by meteorologists to be ready for potential weather storms in the coming days.

Source: Fox News