At least 17 dead as tornadoes tear through the Midwest

The deadly spate of weather came amid a tornado season that’s extreme for how mild it’s been. As Climate Central explained just last Friday, 2014 is on pace to have record-low numbers of twisters, particularly compared to the dramatic tornado season of 2011 — and during which Vilonia was also hit, leaving four dead and a portion of the town damaged. According to Vilonia police chief Brad McNew, the damage this time is “a lot worse than it was three years ago.”

The Storm Prediction Center did manage to issue an early warning for the weekend’s storms, without which officials say the fatalities could have been much worse. But the danger isn’t over yet: as the storm system moves southeast over the coming days, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas remain on alert.

From NBC News, aerial footage of the destruction in Mayflower, Arkansas, where at least one death has been reported:

Article Appeared @http://www.salon.com/2014/04/28/at_least_17_dead_as_tornadoes_tear_through_the_midwest/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *