The tornado Tuesday afternoon left a wide swath of obliterated homes, splintered trees and crumpled cars in Greenfield, a town of 2,000 about 55 miles (88.5 kilometers) southwest of Des Moines. The twister also ripped apart and crumpled massive power-producing wind turbines several miles outside the town.

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Source: https://apnews.com/article/severe-weather-midwest-iowa-tornadoes-26c73e14ab481ef77a1b0606a2b10adc

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Andy Beshear said the figure could rise to as many as 100 in what he called the worst tornadoes in the state’s history.

He said the number was “probably closer to somewhere between 70 and 100, it’s devastating”.

Tornadoes are wreaking havoc across several US states, with workers trapped in an Amazon warehouse in Illinois.

More than 100 people were inside a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, when the tornado hit, the New York Times reported.

“We believe we’ll lose at least dozens of those individuals,” Mr Beshear said.

The Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville in southern Illinois was damaged during a tornado on Friday night, the authorities said.

It is not yet clear how many people were hurt by the roof collapse, but local emergency services have called it a “mass casualty incident” on Facebook.

Sarah Bierman said her partner was still missing.

“I talked to him about 8 o’clock tonight, a little before I texted him, and he was returning to the warehouse to drop his van off. And I haven’t heard from him since,” she told the Reuters news agency.

“I decided to come down here to see what was going on. I had no idea the building looked that bad. And I’m just … I’m worried sick. I just want to know if he’s okay,” she added.

“My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I’ve reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker tweeted.

Amazon was assessing the situation and damage, a spokesperson said in a statement.

A state of emergency has been announced in Kentucky.

Police said the tornado caused “significant damage” across the western parts of the state. A train was derailed during extreme winds in Hopkins County, Sheriff Matt Sanderson told WKYT-TV.

He also described how two children were reported missing during a tornado but were then found in a bathtub that had been pulled outside by the force of the wind.

“There were two children in the Barnsley area that were missing and they were actually found in a bathtub not where the house was originally standing,” he said.

In Arkansas, one person died and 20 people were trapped inside in a nursing home after it partly collapsed, Craighead county judge Marvin Day told the Associated Press.

The building was cleared around 90 minutes later but searches are continuing, he said, adding that some residents had been hiding in the basement as the tornado approached.

The US National Weather Service has issued tornado warnings for areas in states including Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri and Illinois.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59620091

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As of 10 p.m. EST, the National Hurricane Center says Laura has maximum sustained winds of 150 mph with higher gusts. That’s 7 mph shy of becoming a Category 5 hurricane.

The eye remains about 45 miles off the Louisiana coast and is expected to make landfall around 1 a.m EST on Thursday.

However, the extremely strong wind may not be the most pressing issue for people caught in the storm’s path. The National Hurricane Center said Laura will bring “unsurvivable storm surge with large and destructive waves” to areas near the Texas-Louisiana border and as far as 40 miles inland. The NHC predicts flood waters will not fully recede until several days after the storm.

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There are possible tornadoes approaching southeastern Louisiana and extreme southwestern Mississippi, the hurricane center said in its 8 p.m. CDT update. The storm’s maximum sustained winds reached 150 mph, a “chilling” development, according to the hurricane center. That’s 7 mph away from being a Category 5 storm, according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

“I think all evidence right now indicates that we’re probably going to be looking at a Category 5 storm,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Donald Jones.

On Twitter, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he ordered the state to close the Interstate 10 eastbound at the Texas-Louisiana border and westbound west of the Atchafalaya Basin.

Hurricane Laura could bring 20-foot storm surge: Where is it, where will it be the worst?

Officials urged roughly 7,000 residents to evacuate from a coastal Louisiana parish that could be covered by ocean water when Laura makes landfall. But at least 150 people refused to leave, officials said.

“It’s a very sad situation,” Ashley Buller, assistant director of the parish Office of Emergency Preparedness, said. “We did everything we could to encourage them to leave.”

Edwards said: “They’re thinking Cameron Parish is going to look like an extension of the Gulf of Mexico for a couple of days.”

Laura, which grew to a Category 4 storm Wednesday afternoon, is forecast to bring a “catastrophic” storm surge, “extreme winds and flash flooding to eastern Texas and Louisiana, according to the hurricane center. It was 75 miles south of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and 75 miles southeast of Port Arthur, Texas, at 10 p.m. CDT.

Water levels are forecast to rise quickly Wednesday evening and overnight due to storm surge and the tide, the hurricane center said.

The National Weather Service has urged people who have been ordered to evacuate to take shelter in sturdy structures in a room away from windows.

“Dangerous winds will last for hours in many locations tonight and/or tomorrow,” NWS tweeted.

Laura is the strongest August hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since infamous Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach said.

More than half a million people were ordered to evacuate as the storm approached, including the Texas cities of Beaumont, Galveston and Port Arthur.

“Hurricane Laura is a very dangerous and rapidly intensifying hurricane,” President Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday afternoon. “My Administration remains fully engaged with state & local emergency managers to continue preparing and assisting the great people (of) Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas.”

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday, “This is a tough storm – big, powerful, and every forecast seems to increase the intensity.”

Edwards has activated the entire Louisiana National Guard for Laura. Several refineries along the Gulf Coast have also shut down before the hurricane makes landfall.

‘Rapid intensification’ for Hurricane Laura:Here’s why that could be so dangerous

The storm intensified a “remarkable” amount in 24 hours, the hurricane center said. And Laura is growing: “Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles,” forecasters said.

“It looks like it’s in full beast mode,” said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. “Which is not what you want to see if you’re in its way.”

It’s the first major hurricane of the 2020 season.

“We are expecting widespread power outages, trees down. Homes and businesses will be damaged,” said Donald Jones, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Lake Charles. “I’m telling you, this is going to be a very serious situation.”

More:Fifteen years and $15 billion since Katrina, New Orleans is more prepared for a major hurricane – for now

The hurricane center said parts of the Louisiana coast from Johnson Bayou to the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge could see waters rise as much as 20 feet from “the combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide.”

Storm surge could reach as far as 30 miles inland from the coastline, the hurricane center said. “Actions to protect life and property should be rushed to completion as water levels will begin to rise later today.”

Edwards said he expects Interstate 10 in Lake Charles and beyond to go under water, hampering search-and-rescue efforts. “It will be inundated,” he said Wednesday.

First Rita, then Ike:Now the ‘resilient’ residents of this Texas town brace for Hurricane Laura.

Founded in the late 1800s, Sabine Pass has been smashed repeatedly in recent years, first by Rita in 2005, then Ike in 2008.

Flying? Change your Gulf Coast flight without a fee

The hurricane threatens a center of the U.S. energy industry. The government said 84% of Gulf oil production and 61% of natural gas production were shut down. Nearly 300 platforms have been evacuated.

After Laura makes landfall, the storm is expected to weaken rapidly as it makes its way north, then turns northeast.

The most recent major hurricane to make landfall in Texas was Harvey in 2017, which had 130-mph maximum winds, Klotzbach said. In Louisiana, it was Rita in 2005, with 115-mph maximum winds.

The Atlantic hurricane season has been a record-breaker. Laura is the earliest L-named storm in the Atlantic Basin, breaking a record held by Luis, which formed Aug. 29, 1995. This season has had 13 named storms, which is well above-normal activity.

Rick Jervis reported from Sabine Pass, Texas. Contributing: Greg Hilburn, The Monroe (La.) News-Star; The Associated Press;

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/08/26/hurricane-laura-path-update-storm-category-4-texas-louisiana/3441543001/

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The storm ripped through Middle Tennessee early Tuesday morning, knocking out power for nearly 50,000 customers, destroying homes, businesses, and schools and damaging some of Nashville’s popular attractions.

Damage from the EF-3-rated tornado that touched down in the Nashville area spanned roughly 50 miles, according to the National Weather Service.

In Nashville, at least 48 structures collapsed.

The NWS said another tornado, which devastated Putnam County, registered wind speeds of 175 mph, giving it a rating of EF-4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

Metro Nashville Public Schools remain closed through Friday as recovery efforts continue. School leaders announced plans to relocate students, staff, and faculty because of extensive damage caused by the storm.

‘The best earthly example of what a marriage should look like’: Married for 58 years, Tennessee tornado victims died side by side

‘The incredible spirit of Nashville’: Grit and hope amid the grief after deadly Tennessee tornadoes

Drone photos captured by the Louisville Courier-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, show the extent of the damage:

Michael Clevenger and Scott Utterback/USA TODAY Network, Google Earth; Visualization by Flourish

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An American flag flies high over the rubble left by a tornado Tuesday morning. Scott Utterback And Michael Clevenger

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The tornado that devasted Putnam Cunty registered wind speeds of 175 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Scott Utterback And Michael Clevenger

Large trees were uprooted and homes at Stanford Estates, east of Nashville, were damaged by Tuesday’s tornado.  Scott Utterback And Michael Clevenger

A home near Cookeville, Tenn., was reduced to its foundation by Tuesday’s powerful winds.  Scott Utterback And Michael Clevenger

Volunteers who took off work head for heard-hit neighborhoods to help homeowners and renters sift through debris to find belongings and mementos.  Scott Utterback And Michael Clevenger

Rescue and relief efforts continue in Putnam County.  Scott Utterback And Michael Clevenger

Items ranging from blankets to cinderblocks were displaced by the weather.  Scott Utterback And Michael Clevenger

Many homes were left intact, though others weren’t so lucky.  Scott Utterback And Michael Clevenger

A home was damaged by a tornado in a north Nashville neighborhood.  Scott Utterback And Michael Clevenger

A north Nashville home was decimated by this week’s tornado.  Scott Utterback And Michael Clevenger

Drone images show the damage at Stanford Estates, east of Nashville.  Scott Utterback And Michael Clevenger

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Stars help out: Taylor Swift donates $1 million for Tennessee tornado relief

Nearly 20,000 people signed up on the “Hands-on Nashville” website, which will assist in the widespread cleanup.

Volunteers in the recovery process should be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint, said “Hands-on Nashville” spokeswoman Lindsey Turner.  She said it’s “inspiring” to see people united after the tragedy.

“They want to be ‘Nashville Strong,’ ” Turner said.

Local and national organizations responded with relief funds. More information on how to help or how to get help can be found here.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Jay Cannon on Twitter: @JayTCannon

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Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/05/nashville-tennessee-tornadoes-aerial-drone-photos-show-damage/4963371002/

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