Tornadoes bring death, injuries, damage to several states

Tornadoes and severe storms swept across several states Friday night, leaving in their wake multiple deaths, numerous injuries and severe structural damage.

Affected states included Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky, where the governor said it’s ‘certain” that more than 70 people are dead. That number may top 100, Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday morning.

Major incidents included heavy damage to an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, where two people are confirmed dead and dozens of workers were reportedly trapped inside the building, and the destruction of a nursing home in Arkansas, where at least two people were killed and five were hurt, according to reports.

Illinois

The Amazon collapse – just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis – was being called a “mass casualty incident” by local emergency responders. At least 30 people were bused away from the scene to be reunited with family, officials said.

Dozens trapped inside an Amazon fulfillment center in Edwardsville, Ill. https://t.co/iSpi8K2VkQ pic.twitter.com/B9I7AKJnRB

— FOX2now (@FOX2now) December 11, 2021

As many as 50 to 100 employees were believed to be inside the building, FOX 2 of St. Louis reported.

Police received word of the collapse around 8:30 p.m., police told FOX 2 early Saturday. Officials said the emergency response was expected to continue far into Saturday morning. – READ MORE