Tornadoes in the USA: "It would be a miracle if someone were found alive there"

After the devastating tornadoes in the United States, with probably dozen dead, rescue teams continue to search for survivors. The state of Kentucky is particularly hard hit, where governor Andy Beshear said on Saturday, referring to the destruction, "We are ground zero." He is certain that the number of deaths will exceed 70 in his state in the southeastern United States alone . “It could even be over 100.” The night on Saturday was “one of the hardest” in Kentucky's history. "I believe this will be the deadliest tornado to ever hit Kentucky."

The New York Times now sees it as certain that at least 70 people were killed in Kentucky alone.

CNN reported early Sunday morning that it feared more than 80 people had died in Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois and Tennessee.

However, it will be days before the full extent of the disaster becomes apparent.

The station reported more than 30 tornadoes in the six states.

Only 40 out of 110 people saved from factory

In Kentucky alone, the tornadoes left a 200-mile (320 km) swath of devastation. “Everything is gone there, houses, shops, government buildings - just gone. Parts of industrial plants, roofs are in trees. It's hard to imagine that that's even possible, ”said Beshear. "The devastation is like nothing I've seen in my life, and I struggle to put it into words."

Among other things, the tornadoes turned a candle factory in Mayfield into a field of rubble - because of the rush hour at Christmas time, work was done there on Saturday night.

Only 40 of the 110 people in the factory were saved, said the governor.

Where the factory once stood is now a field of rubble more than four meters high with scrap metal and wrecked cars.

"It would be a miracle if someone were found alive there."

Photos from Saturday showed people helping with the recovery of items from a destroyed house in Mayfield.

On others streets of the small town could be seen - the houses had been swept away.

Beshear swore the people in the disaster area to difficult hours in the face of freezing temperatures and widespread power outages. "It's going to be a rough night for a lot of people in Kentucky," he said. In the meantime, the governor threatened to lose his voice - for example when he spoke about his father's hometown, Dawson Springs. "There's no house a block from my grandparents' house," said Beshear. "And we don't know where all these people are."

In Illinois, the roof of a distribution center of the online retailer Amazon partially collapsed.

Six people died there, 45 people were rescued from the rubble, according to the fire department.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos expressed his dismay at the "tragic reports" from Edwardsville.

"We are heartbroken about the loss of our team members," he tweeted on Sunday night.

The storm is the latest in a series of natural disasters in the United States.

The United States suffered devastating storms, severe flooding and widespread forest fires that year.

US President Joe Biden sees the accumulation and severity of the disasters as a consequence of climate change, and he has made combating it one of his top priorities.

Tornadoes have reached the second highest level in the United States

According to the words of the meteorologist Marco Manitta from the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach, the tornadoes in Kentucky were created in connection with a long-lasting super cell - a large thundercloud. In the USA there are occasionally favorable conditions for the formation of such storm clouds. The current tornadoes would have reached a strength of F4 on the so-called Fujita scale, which indicates the damage class. That corresponds to the second highest level. Such tornadoes could also collapse or be severely damaged solid buildings, said Manitta.

Especially in the USA, where many buildings are made of wood, the destruction could be all the more severe. In addition, the tornadoes moved over partly densely populated areas. As a result, the storms would also absorb more debris, which could then develop additional destructive power. F4 tornadoes could easily whirl cars through the air, Manitta said. A strong negative pressure could ensure that houses are destroyed in an explosive manner.

Biden pledged aid to the states affected by the tornadoes on Saturday.

"I promise you whatever it takes, the federal government will find a way to deliver," said the president at a short notice in Wilmington, Delaware.

He agreed on Saturday to a declaration of emergency for the state of Kentucky, the worst hit by the tornadoes.

This accelerates federal aid.

The governor had previously declared a state of emergency in Kentucky and activated the National Guard.

Biden also announced a visit to the Kentucky disaster area.

But he said he would wait until it did not interfere with the rescue operations.

Together with First Lady Jill Biden, he prayed for the victims and their families.