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Severe storms hit Arkansas, Illinois and Indiana, leaving multiple people dead

On Friday, there were at least 40 reports of tornadoes hitting numerous states including Arkansas, Iowa, Tennessee, Illinois, Wisconsin and Mississippi. 

Published: April 1, 2023 11:00am

Fierce tornadoes swept through the Midwest and southern states, resulting in homes and businesses being destroyed, and so far 11 people have been reported dead. 

On Friday, there were at least 40 reports of tornadoes hitting numerous states including Arkansas, Iowa, Tennessee, Illinois, Wisconsin and Mississippi. 

The National Weather Service reported that at least 20 million people were under a tornado watch and there was a level 5 "high risk" outlook for severe storms in a number of locations. 

Officials told Fox Weather that at least one person is dead and 30 injured in Little Rock, Arkansas. 

In Belvidere, Illinois, the storm caused the roof and marquee at the Apollo Theatre to collapse during a sold-out concert killing one person and injuring 28.

"Chaos, absolute chaos," said Belvidere Police Chief Shane Woody in describing the scene, according to USA Today.

Dozens of homes were destroyed in Tennessee as a result of the storm, along with five freight train cars flipped over in Marshall County.

Charlotte Hazard is a reporter for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter for more stories. 

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