United States: Tornadoes kill at least 20 in the south of the country

Uprooted trees, devastated towns, dead and injured. This is the heavy toll recorded this Saturday, May 17, as day dawned in the United States, after a particularly stormy night. Violent storms sweeping across the Midwest and southern United States have left at least 20 dead, according to an initial tally from authorities. Rescue workers continue to clear the rubble, searching for survivors.

Reporting

In Kentucky, at least 14 people died in Friday night's storms, state Governor Andy Beshear announced on his X account . "Kentucky, we begin today with some very difficult news: at least 14 people lost their lives in last night's storms. Unfortunately, this number is expected to rise as we receive more information," he wrote. A tornado, which ravaged a largely rural area, extended as far as the city of London (still in Kentucky, not the European capital).

"Lives have been changed forever tonight," the city's mayor, Randall Weddle, told US media. "I have never personally experienced what I saw tonight. The devastation is immense," he added, living in a state no stranger to devastating storms and impressive tornadoes. The number of injured is not yet known.

Several US media outlets, such as the Associated Press, also reported seven deaths in the neighboring state of Missouri, including several in the major city of St. Louis. City Councilor Cara Spencer confirmed that five people had died in her city and said that more than 5,000 homes had been affected by the storm. "Our city is in mourning tonight. The loss of life and destruction is truly appalling," the mayor said, adding that the city was declaring a state of emergency and that a nighttime curfew had been implemented Friday in the worst-hit neighborhoods.

In a neighborhood of St. Louis, a city of nearly 280,000 people, a church was heavily damaged, according to CBS footage, and rescue workers continued to treat victims around the building Saturday morning. "It's unbelievable. It's horrible that a tornado would come through here and cause so much damage to the residents and the church. Our hearts are broken," Pastor Perkins, who serves at the church, told CBS. "Building search operations continue Saturday morning," confirmed Mike O'Connell, director of communications for the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

More than 180,000 homes and businesses in Kentucky and Missouri were still without power as of 4 p.m. Paris time, according to the specialist website poweroutage.us. The severe weather also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, left hundreds of thousands of customers without power in the Great Lakes region, and triggered a severe heat wave in Texas. Wind-blown trees and downed traffic lights also caused traffic jams Friday afternoon in the affected states. Authorities urged residents to stay indoors.

The US National Weather Service (NSW) announced on Friday that "numerous severe weather conditions" were expected "over the eastern third of the country this afternoon, with watches and warnings for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes." Dangerous weather conditions are also expected Sunday evening in Missouri.

The extreme weather is now moving into the south of the country. The NSW Storm Prediction Centre reported on Saturday that "severe thunderstorms producing large to very large hail, damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes are expected across the Southern Plains." The risk is particularly high in North Texas.

At the request of the Trump administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), responsible for studying the ocean and atmosphere, recently had to lay off approximately 20% of its staff. The White House also wants to make massive cuts to the agency's operating budget, as part of sweeping cuts to most federal government spending.

Staff shortages have forced some local offices to stop operating 24/7 weather monitoring , the Washington Post reported Wednesday. Former NOAA chief Rick Spinrad expressed alarm in a mid-March interview with AFP about the impact of layoffs on weather forecasting. "We are entering tornado season in the central and southeastern United States. As we lose technicians, maintaining and operating satellites and radars (that predict their occurrence) becomes more complicated," he said.

According to NOAA, tornado-related accidents will cause 54 deaths in the United States in 2024. This figure could increase if warnings and forecasts are less well anticipated.

Updated at 4:40 p.m. with power outages and NOAA budget cuts.