Tornadoes by the numbers: Damage reported across 9 states
Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on April 2, 2023
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — A powerful storm system unleashed violent tornadoes and severe thunderstorms across the U.S. on Friday.
At least 23 people were killed in the South and Midwest on Friday and one person was confirmed dead in Delaware on Saturday as the powerful storm pattern moved to the Northeast.
Damage assessment is still underway, and it’s unclear exactly how many tornadoes have been confirmed yet. But here’s a look at the extent of the storms so far.
Tornado damage reported in in 9 states
Dozens of locations in 9 states have reported tornado damage since Friday afternoon, according to meteorologists. The number of reported locations continued to increase Saturday amid an ongoing tornado threat.
The National Weather Service will be conducting storm surveys Saturday to investigate the damage and give a more definitive number of confirmed tornadoes.
EF3 in Little Rock
In Little Rock, Arkansas, a confirmed “catastrophic” tornado moved through the city Friday afternoon, the NWS said. Based on preliminary information, the city was hit by an EF3 tornado with winds up to 165 mph and a path length spanning 20-25 miles, according to the NWS in Little Rock.
24 fatalities
At least 24 people in seven states have been confirmed dead following Friday’s powerful storms, per state and local officials:
- Tennessee: 7 (McNairy County), Adamsville Mayor David Leckner told The Associated Press
- Arkansas: 5 (4 in Wynne, 1 in North Little Rock), state officials said
- Illinois: 5 (1 in Belvidere, 3 in Crawford County), according to Boone County and state officials
- Indiana: 5 (Sullivan County and Owen County), according to the Sullivan County coroner and Indiana Department of Natural Resources
- Alabama: 1 (Madison County), the Madison County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to ABC News
- Mississippi: 1 (Pontotoc County), Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said
- Delaware: 1 (Sussex County), the Delaware State Police said
More than 730,000 customers without power
Severe weather was in the forecast Saturday, with damaging winds and an isolated tornado possible for parts of the Northeast.
As of approximately 4:46 p.m. ET, more than 730,000 customers in five states were experiencing power outages in the U.S. The states with the most outages were:
- Pennsylvania: 258,919
- Ohio: 248,079
- Tennessee: 105,417
- West Virginia: 64,343
- Kentucky: 55,209
ABC News’ Daniel Amarante contributed to this report.
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