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A monster tornado devastated the Arkansas capital, Little Rock, just a week after more than two dozen deadly tornadoes ripped through Mississippi and parts of Alabama killing at least 26 people.
Footage of the severe weather system was filmed from the seventh floor of Little Rock Baptist Medical Center. The person filming could be heard panting in the massive hurricane.
A man, who appeared unaware of the vortex, was filmed standing on the roof of another building as the powerful tornado — said to have reached Level 3 or “mass casualty” strength — moved toward him.
Another video in the aftermath of the massive system revealed debris littering the streets of Little Rock, just three hours northwest of Rolling Fork, where deadly storms hit last week.
A monster tornado devastated the Arkansas capital, Little Rock, just a week after more than two dozen deadly tornadoes ripped through Mississippi and parts of Alabama killing at least 26 people.
Hurricane warnings were issued for 21 states home to nearly 90 million people on Friday — with forecasters saying conditions could be similar to those that caused death and destruction across the South last week.
People across large portions of the Midwest and Southern United States have been warned to prepare for dangerous weather including tornadoes this afternoon.
This severe thunderstorm outbreak is also likely to bring hail and damaging wind gusts, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center.
Major population centers most at risk from storms beginning Friday afternoon include Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock and Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
People throughout eastern Iowa and western and northern Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas should also be prepared, said Victor Gensini, a northern Illinois professor of meteorology and hurricane expert.
The warnings come just one week after a series of devastating tornadoes ravaged Mississippi and parts of Alabama. Those storms flattened towns and one of them cut a deadly path across 170 miles, leaving at least 25 dead in both states.
Gensini said the composition of Friday’s atmosphere is similar to conditions that existed during Mississippi’s deadly storm.
“There will be a lot of thunderstorms… tornadoes, damaging winds and great hail,” he said.
Meteorologists said people in areas under the latest warnings should stock up on emergency supplies, prepare for power outages, avoid locations subject to falling trees or severe hail, and park vehicles in the garage if possible.
Bad weather could also extend to Chicago, where forecasters have warned of a “relatively rare severe weather threat” that includes strong winds, tornadoes and significant hail.
The interior of the store was damaged after a severe storm ripped through Little Rock on Friday
An overturned car was seen in the Kroger parking lot after a severe storm hit Little Rock
Emergency personnel checked people in a parking lot after the severe storm swept through
A building was damaged and trees fell after the severe storm
The dangerous forecast stems from strong southerly winds transporting copious amounts of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico north, where it will interact with the powerful storm system.
In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem ordered state executive branch offices closed Friday in parts of the state, as freezing rain, snow and high winds are expected. Many counties were under blizzard or blizzard warnings.
The Meteorological Service is also forecasting another wave of severe storms next Tuesday in the same general area as last week. At least the first 10 days of April will be rough, said Brandon Buckingham, a meteorologist with Accuweather.
The ferocious tornado that struck Mississippi last Friday night killed dozens of people, injured many more, and flattened entire blocks as it blazed a trail of destruction for more than an hour.
About 2,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
The death toll was particularly severe in Sharkey County, western Mississippi, where 13 people were killed in a county of 3,700 residents. Winds of up to 200 mph (322 kph) blew across the rural farming town of Rolling Fork, turning homes into piles of rubble, flipping cars, and bringing down the town’s water tower.
People need to put in place a severe weather plan that includes multiple ways to receive storm warning information, said Bill Bunting, head of the Meteorological Service’s Storm Prediction Center.
Storm warnings are in place for about 21 states with 90 million people. A map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows much of the Midwest and South facing severe weather Friday
First Lady Jill Biden and President Joe Biden offered their prayers and support for the small town of Mississippi
Crowds gathered to listen as Biden spoke to residents in Rolling Fork as he traveled to survey the damage
Biden greeted locals after a deadly weekend of tornadoes and storms, on Rolling Fork
Biden boarded Air Force One Friday morning to visit Rolling Fork with the first lady
We’ve all seen coverage of the heartbreaking situations in other parts of the country. Our strong hope is that people will heed the predictions that have been made for several days now regarding the threat of Friday.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden traveled to Rolling Fork on Friday.
Biden is expected to announce that the federal government will cover the total cost of emergency measures in Mississippi for the next 30 days, including overtime for first responders and cleaning up debris.
The President and First Lady will survey damage, interview storm-affected homeowners and first responders and get an executive briefing from state and federal officials.
They are expected to be joined by Governor Tate Reeves, Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde Smith and Representative Penny Thompson.
In a statement after the hurricane, Biden pledged that the federal government would do everything it could to help.
“We’ll stay there as long as it takes,” he said. “We will work together to provide you with the support you need to recover.”
Presidents regularly visit parts of the United States that have been devastated by natural disasters or have suffered massive loss of life from a shooting or other disaster.
The warnings come just one week after a series of devastating tornadoes ravaged Mississippi and parts of Alabama. Pictured: A pickup truck sits atop a restaurant cooler at Chuck’s Dairy Café in Rolling Fork, Mississippi
A woman sits among the rubble of a home as cleanup continues in the aftermath of a tornado Friday in Rolling Fork
Last week’s severe weather event sent golf ball-sized hailstones sweeping across several southern states
A rescuer is seen wading through rubble in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 25 after the rural town was struck by tornadoes that left 25 dead.
Women hug in the rubble of a home as cleanup continues in the aftermath of a tornado Friday, March 28, 2023 in Rolling Fork
A woman walks near an uprooted tree, an overturned vehicle and debris of homes destroyed by a tornado, Monday, March 27, 2023, in Rolling Fork
Republicans criticized Biden for not taking a trip to the site of a toxic chemical spill in a small town in Ohio.
He also has to decide whether to visit Nashville after three children and three adults are shot and killed at Covenant School.
This past week’s severe weather is making life even more difficult in an already economically struggling region.
Mississippi is one of the poorest states, and the majority of the black delta has long been one of the poorest parts of the state—a place where many people live paycheck to paycheck, often in farm-related jobs.
Terrifying moment a tornado monster rips through Little Rock, Arkansas’ capital with winds of 80 mph