Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms that swept through several U.S. states over the weekend have killed at least 32 people, according to authorities. Tennessee has been particularly hard hit, with 15 deaths related to severe weather, reported Sunday, the emergency management agency of this southern state of the country.
Nine people lost their lives in McNairy County, east of Memphis, while two children and an adult were killed in Memphis even when trees fell on homes, local police said.
Joe Biden supports victims
The Tennessee victims join 17 others in the southern states of Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Illinois and Indiana in the north and Delaware on the east coast.
"We are working closely with the state of Indiana and other affected states as they assess the damage and stand ready to respond to any additional requests for federal assistance," US President Joe Biden said Sunday, expressing support for the victims and their families.
Human and material damage
Wherever thunderstorms and tornadoes have struck since Friday, residents now have to deal with the damage: overturned cars, uprooted trees, broken telephone poles and disemboweled homes.
Tornadoes, weather phenomena as impressive as they are difficult to predict, are common in the United States, especially in the center and south of the country. A week ago, a tornado swept across the Mississippi River, killing 25 people and causing immense property damage. President Biden visited the site on Friday.
In December 2021, about 80 people lost their lives after tornadoes hit Kentucky.
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