At least 29 people were killed in powerful tornadoes and storms that struck the eastern-central and southern United States and destroyed a large number of buildings, according to a new toll announced by the authorities on Sunday.

"Building Collapse"

Nine people died in the east of Memphis city in McNairy County, Tennessee (south), according to county mayor Larry Smith.

These are added to 17 other deaths in the states of Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama in the south, Indiana and Illinois in the east-central region, and Delaware on the east coast. In Delaware, a "building collapse" in Sussex killed one person on Saturday night to Sunday, according to the county rescue center.

Destructive Tornadoes

The Meteorological Administration warned neighboring states such as Pennsylvania and New York of strong winds and potential tornadoes.

Destructive tornadoes hit Arkansas on Friday, where at least five people were killed, according to the rural southern state governor Sarah Huckabee at a press conference.

Disaster management services in Mississippi reported one death and others injured in Pontotoc County, about 200 kilometers south of Memphis.

An Unpredictable Phenomenon

An elderly man also died in Alabama when a tornado hit his home, according to authorities in the city of Huntsville near the Tennessee border.

Power outages affected at least 650,000 homes on Saturday in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

Tornadoes are an unpredictable phenomenon and are frequent in the United States, especially in the central and southern regions.

25 People Killed

A week ago, a tornado struck Mississippi causing 25 deaths and severe property damage, and President Joe Biden inspected the site on Friday.

In December 2021, about 80 people were killed after tornadoes struck Kentucky.