A violent tornado swept through the city of Little Rock in the US state of Arkansas and neighboring towns on Friday, killing at least 3 people and injuring dozens, causing damage to the roofs and walls of many buildings, overturning vehicles and falling trees and power lines.
The University of Arkansas Hospital for Medical Sciences declared a level one alert for mass casualties after Hurricane ElliLittle Rock hit the state's capital and most populous city on Friday afternoon.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at a late-night news conference that the hurricane had killed at least two people in the state's Wayne region, about 160 kilometers east of Little Rock near the Tennessee border.
Mayor Frank Scott Jr. told reporters that about 30 people in Little Rock had been taken to area hospitals by the fire department and other emergency staff for injuries, adding: "We haven't seen any deaths."
Police said several areas on the western edge of the city were badly damaged, and the mayor described the damage to property as "extensive".
In the small town of Belvedere west of Chicago, Illinois, part of the roof of a concert hall collapsed after a storm passed, as the public watched a metal performance, local media reported.
Local newspapers said a number of ambulances were sent to the scene.
About 110,74 people were without power in Illinois, 27,<> in Arkansas and <>,<> in Iowa, according to the website Power-Oteg. US" (Power Outage. U S).
Tornadoes are a frequent phenomenon in the United States, especially in the center and south of the country.
A week ago, a tornado hit Mississippi, killing 25 people and causing extensive property damage.
Since December 2021, about 80 people have died after tornadoes hit Kentucky.