“We have nothing left. Nothing at all ”. Like Marty Janes, survivor of a tornado that struck Mayfield, Kentucky, many residents of this small town have seen their homes and property devastated by the force of this exceptional weather event. US President Joe Biden declared a state of major disaster in Kentucky on Sunday evening, which has become a symbol of the devastation caused by tornadoes that have left at least 94 dead in several states across the country. This declaration will help unlock more federal aid. Mr. Biden had previously lamented "one of the worst series of tornadoes" in the history of the country and called their devastation unimaginable tragedy ".The search continues to try to locate survivors but many officials have warned that the toll could worsen.
Read also Deadly tornadoes in the United States: ten images of the stricken town of Mayfield, where aid is being organized
This meteorological phenomenon crossed six states, leaving a trail of destruction for hundreds of kilometers, but it was in Mayfield, a town of some 10,000 inhabitants in Kentucky, that it was the worst. Kentucky alone has more than 80 deaths, many at a candle factory. Elsewhere in Kentucky, but also in the states of Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee and Arkansas, there were the same scenes of flattened constructions, gutted buildings, twisted metal infrastructure, overturned vehicles, torn trees and bricks strewn in the streets. Mississippi was also affected. At least six people were killed in an Amazon warehouse whose roof collapsed in Edwardsville, Illinois.Rescuers also continued their search there on Sunday. Tennessee has recorded four deaths, two people have died in Arkansas, while at least two other deaths are to be deplored in Missouri.
Tornadoes particularly affect the vast American plains.
On amateur videos taken Friday night, we see these huge black columns sweeping the ground, illuminated by intermittent lightning.
About thirty of these storms swept across the country on Friday evening.