At least three people have been killed in Ohio after devastating tornadoes also hit Indiana, Kentucky and Arkansas.
Dozens of people have been injured, with a ‘mass casualty incident’ declared at Mary Rutan Hospital in Logan County, where two of the deaths were recorded. All three deaths occurred in Ohio, and it is feared that the number could rise dramatically as the clean-up operation begins.
A desperate hunt for survivors resumed this morning after homes were leveled and buildings collapsed during Thursday’s powerful storms.
Officials fear the death toll could rise further as the true extent of the damage becomes known.
Terrifying footage shows a double vortex twister tearing along the side of the road near the Ohio town of Vanlue.
Terrifying footage from shows a double vortex twister tearing along the side of the road near the town of Vanlue in Ohio
An overhead shot taken Friday at 8 a.m. in Medway, Ohio shows the scene of destruction after a tornado tore through a mobile home community
Another image clearly shows the path of the tornado, which destroyed several homes but left others nearby relatively unscathed
At least three people have been killed in Ohio after devastating tornadoes also hit Indiana, Kentucky and Arkansas. Pictured: Debris from violent storms litters the ground in Lakeview, OH
Officials warned that the death toll could rise further as the search for survivors resumed on Friday
The storms tore through the Midwest on Thursday. Pictured: Damage from a severe weather system is seen in Lakeview, Ohio,
Meanwhile in Cleveland, the National Weather Service warned of a ‘very severe’ tornado half a mile wide tearing through the city.
A number of buildings in Lakeview were destroyed, Amber Fagan, president and CEO of the Indian Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, told ABC 6 news.
“It’s pure devastation,” she said.
‘I have never seen anything like it in my entire life. Our Lakeview municipal building has been demolished. Our laundry is gone. The old plastic building has just been completely demolished. Downtown, it’s bad.’
The tornado touched down near the south end of Indian Lake and affected the villages of Lakeview and Russells Point, said Sheri Timmers, a spokeswoman for Logan County, home to the villages.
Tens of thousands of Midwesterners were without power, with about 20,000 people in Ohio still without power Friday morning.
In Indiana, dozens were injured after a tornado hit the towns of Winchester and Selma, but no deaths have been reported, police said.
‘There have been many, many significant injuries, but I don’t know the number, I don’t know where they are. I don’t know what the injuries are, Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter told reporters at a news conference.
Tornado movement seen in St Charles Missouri Thursday
Crews work to clean up after a tornado touched down Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Milton, Kentucky
Extensive damage was reported in Kentucky, although no deaths have yet been confirmed
He described the storms as a ‘terrible, terrible event’ and said some buildings and homes had been completely destroyed in Winchester, with a trailer park decimated.
He added that work will begin in the morning to find out if people were still trapped in those buildings.
Indiana Task Force 1 would assist in the search and rescue process, and police will return with an update Friday morning, Carter added.
The National Weather Service had previously said it could not confirm a tornado touched down in Winchester, but that it was ‘probable’ judging from the damage and photos taken by people on the ground.
In Jefferson County, Sgt. Indiana State Police Stephen Wheeles said on social media that ‘Several homes are damaged, with trees and power lines down’ after a reported hurricane.
He shared photos of the devastation, including massive hail that fell across the county.
The storms were part of a night of severe weather that stretched from northeast Texas to Ohio and put 13 million people under weather warnings
Debris covers the ground in front of a damaged home after severe weather passed through the area Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Jefferson Manor Subdivision near Hanover, Indiana
Dozens of people were left injured in Indiana after homes were flattened and buildings collapsed
Matt True, director of the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency, told the Washington Post that at least two tornadoes appeared to be moving down there, damaging 29 homes and injuring two people.
‘This one appeared out of nowhere. There was no warning, he said.
The storms ripped across the Ohio River and into Kentucky’s Trimble County, tearing the roofs off up to 30 homes.
No injuries were reported, but 85 percent of homes were left without power Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Arkansas was rocked by violent storms overnight that caused widespread damage and left 8,000 people in the dark Friday night.
Hot Springs was one of the worst hit areas, with locals waking up to find damage as well as people’s belongings scattered across the streets.
Parts of the state were also issued flash floods, with an inch per hour falling in Little Rock last night.
Tornado movements were also seen in the skies over Missouri after an early spring severe weather system moved through far eastern Kansas and western Missouri, causing several ‘supercell thunderstorms’ to produce large hail up to two inches in diameter across of the Kansas City Metro area.
The storms were part of a night of severe weather that stretched from northeast Texas to Ohio and put 13 million people under weather warnings.