At least 26 dead after tornadoes sweep South, Midwest

Tennessee’s McNairy County, east of Memphis, may have suffered the most deaths.

Published: April 2, 2023 7:59am

Updated: April 2, 2023 8:27am

At least 26 people are dead Sunday after severe storms dropped tornadoes in eight states throughout the South and Midwest over the weekend. 

Tennessee’s McNairy County, east of Memphis, may have suffered the most deaths with at least nine people perishing in the county, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, The Associated Press reported.

The small town of Wynne, Arkansas, reported four deaths from the tornado, while Sullivan, Indiana, lost three people. 

Illinois experienced at least 4 deaths, including one that occurred in the town of Belvidere when part of the Apollo Theatre roof collapsed. The incident occurred when about 260 people were attending a heavy metal concert in the town that is located outside of Rockford. A 50-year-old man was pulled out of the rubble and died by the time emergency responders arrived, and officials said 40 other people were hurt. 

Crawford County, Illinois, located four and a half hours south of Belvidere, three people were killed and eight others were injured in a tornado, county board chair Bill Burke said. 

Crawford County borders Sullivan County, Indiana, where three people died in a tornado over the weekend.

In the area of Little Rock, Arkansas, at least one person died and more than 50 were injured in the storms.

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