At least nine people killed amid tornadoes in at least three states

At least nine people have died and hundreds of thousands of homes been left without electricity after tornadoes hit several US states. Over 60 tornadoes were reported across several states on Friday and Saturday, with Arkansas, Illinois, and Indiana being the hardest hit, according to The Washington Post. The storms also caused widespread damage in other areas.

In Belvidere, Illinois, the Apollo Theatre was severely damaged with one fatality and 28 injuries. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has been in touch with authorities and has directed any resources available. In Arkansas, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has activated the national guard to aid the state police and local law enforcement throughout the state. A “large and destructive tornado” hit Little Rock and other state areas, with at least one dead and 50 people hospitalized in North Little Rock.

Power outages are affecting several states in the wake of the storms, with Indiana and Minnesota each reporting over 65,000 outages as of 9:53 EST, followed by Arkansas with over 52,000 outages, and Illinois with 33,000, according to PowerOutage.us.

Last week, Mississippi experienced its own severe storms, leaving at least 25 people dead. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited Rolling Fork on Friday, where the president authorized further access to federal resources to aid in the recovery effort.

“To those affected by the tornadoes in Mississippi: thanks to your spirit, resilience, and bravery – Rolling Fork will be back,” tweeted Biden. “We’re not just here today. We’re going to be with you until this work is done.”