Drone footage shows tornado devastation after 65 deadly twisters tore across ... trends now
A shocking drone video flying over the state of Indiana shows the devastation left after 65 deadly twisters tore across the Midwest and South Friday, killing at least 11 people.
The enormous storm system tore through seven states on Friday, spawning deadly weather including tornadoes that shredded homes and shopping centers in Arkansas, caused a theater roof to collapse during a heavy metal concert in Illinois and made a fatal sweep into rural Indiana.
The drone footage, taken over the Hoosier State Saturday morning, shows homes absolutely decimated, cars wrecked and even flipped over, trees fallen and crews attempting to start what will be a difficult cleanup effort.
The camera is flying over the town of Sullivan, which is about 95 miles south of Indianapolis.
The severe weather is expected to continue Saturday, with several cities in Alabama and Georgia still under a tornado watch through 8 a.m. central time.
A shocking drone video flying over the state of Indiana shows the devastation left after 65 deadly twisters tore across the Midwest and South Friday, killing at least 11 people
Over 55 million Americans are under severe weather risks in the Ohio Valley, the Northeast, including New York City and Philadelphia, and parts of the Southeast, according the Storm Prediction Center.
Southeastern Indiana, western Ohio and northern Kentucky were still under tornado watches on Saturday through 5 a.m. ET, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
The area, which includes the cities of Dayton and Cincinnati, was warned of wind gusts up to 70 mph along with large hail.
The storm caused three deaths in Sullivan County, Indiana, Emergency Management Director Jim Pirtle said in an email to The Associated Press early Saturday.
The storm damaged homes and some residents were missing in the county seat of Sullivan, located near the Illinois state line about 95 miles southwest of Indianapolis.
At least one person was killed and more than two dozen injured, some critically, in the Little Rock area, authorities said.
The town of Wynne in northeastern Arkansas was also devastated, and officials reported two dead there, along with destroyed homes and people trapped in the debris.
Authorities said a theater roof collapsed during a tornado in Belvidere, Illinois, killing one person and injuring 28, five of them severely.
The enormous storm system tore through seven states on Friday, spawning deadly weather including tornadoes that shredded homes and shopping centers in Arkansas , caused a theater roof to collapse during a heavy metal concert in Illinois and made a fatal sweep into rural Indiana
The drone footage, taken over the Hoosier State Saturday morning, shows homes absolutely decimated, cars wrecked and even flipped over, trees fallen and crews attempting to start what will be a difficult cleanup effort
The camera is flying over the town of Sullivan, which is about 95 miles south of Indianapolis
The severe weather is expected to continue Saturday, with several cities in Alabama and Georgia still under a tornado watch through 8 a.m. central time
Over 55 million Americans are under severe weather risks in the Ohio Valley, the Northeast, including New York City and Philadelphia, and parts of the Southeast, according the Storm Prediction Center
The Belvidere Police Department said the collapse occurred as a heavy storm rolled through the area and that calls began coming from the theater at 7:48 p.m.
It said that an initial assessment was that a tornado had caused the damage.
The collapse occurred at the Apollo Theatre during a heavy metal concert in the town located about 70 miles northwest of Chicago.
Belvidere Fire Department Chief Shawn Schadle said 260 people were in the venue.
He reported that first responders had also rescued someone from an elevator and had to grapple with downed power lines outside the theater.
Authorities work the scene at the Apollo Theatre after a severe spring storm caused damage and injuries during a concert in Illinois
Fire chief Shawn Schadle told reporters 28 people were taken to hospital with five in a serious condition
Belvidere Police Chief Shane Woody described the scene after the collapse as 'chaos, absolute chaos.'
Gabrielle Lewellyn had just entered the theater when a portion of the ceiling collapsed.
'I was there within a minute before it came down,' she told WTVO-TV. 'The winds, when I was walking up to the building, it went like from zero to a thousand within five seconds.'
Some people rushed to lift the collapsed portion of the ceiling and pull people out of the rubble, said Lewellyn, who wasn´t hurt.
'They dragged someone out from the rubble and I sat with him and I held his hand and I was (telling him) `It´s going to be OK.´ I didn´t really know much else what to do.'
There were more confirmed twisters in Iowa and wind-whipped grass fires blazed in Oklahoma, as the storm system threatened a broad swath of the country home to some 85 million people.
Dramatic scenes saw cars flipped over, roofs smashed and trees toppled across the South and Midwest while tens of thousands were left without power in Arkansas and Missouri.
The Apollo Theatre in Belvidere, Illinois, saw its roof cave in at around 7.55pm local time when 260 people were inside. The concert-goers had gathered to see the heavy metal band Morbid Angel.
Fire chief Shawn Schadle told reporters 28 people were taken to hospital with five in serious condition.
One witness uploaded a video of the disturbing aftermath on Facebook.
'I was one of the first ones on the scene and I just started praying & crying,' Johnny Garner wrote on Facebook.
'So many people being carried away it didn't look real.'
In Covington, Tennessee, five people were being treated in hospital after it was also hit by a twister.
Homes in West Little Rock suffered major damage after being pummeled by the tornado
Little remains of the neighborhood after powerful storm left a trail of destruction
Entire neighborhoods were flattened by the destructive storms
The Covington Police Department shared photos of roads blocked by downed power poles and trees toppled in front of homes.
The force said the city was 'impassable' and urged residents to stay off the roads due to hazards and to allow emergency crews to pass through to critical areas.
Earlier in the night several flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport were
