A violent storm accompanied by strong winds and heavy rains that swept through the southern, western, and central parts of the United States on its way east on Saturday caused the death of at least 18 people and injured dozens. The turbulent weather comes after a week of a series of thunderstorms that caused a deadly tornado to sweep through the town of Rolling Fork in Mississippi, destroying many of its 400 homes and killing 26 people.

At least 18 people were killed due to tornadoes and strong storms that hit the southern and eastern central United States, destroying many buildings, while the northeast of the country prepares for more severe storms.

Seven deaths were also recorded in Tennessee in the south of the country, according to local authorities.

For her part, Maggie Hanan, spokesperson for the Tennessee Disaster Management Agency, told Agence France-Presse, "7 deaths linked to severe storms were recorded in McNairy County."

The destructive tornadoes especially hit Arkansas on Friday, where at least 5 people were killed, according to the rural southern state governor Sarah Huckabee at a press conference.

Residents of the state capital Little Rock woke up on Saturday to scenes of overturned cars, huge trees, uprooted telephone poles, and destroyed homes.

In the same context, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott told reporters, "We know that many people have been displaced and are looking for shelter."

Journalist Lara Farrer, from one of the local economic newspapers, also told Agence France-Presse in a phone call that she was “shocked” by the extent of the destruction in Little Rock.

She added that “the roofs of some houses were completely destroyed” and posted pictures of destroyed homes, partially collapsed walls, and fallen trees.

She also said that “the neighborhood is completely destroyed,” pointing to debris extending about 500 meters.

As for the town of Wynne in the northeast of the state, it has become “almost divided due to damage extending from east to west,” according to Mayor Jennifer Hobbs who spoke to CNN.

Sarah Huckabee revealed on Saturday that she discussed the situation with President Joe Biden following her declaration of a state of emergency and the deployment of about 100 National Guard members.

Disaster management services in Mississippi also reported the death of one person and several injuries in Pontotoc County, about 200 miles south of Memphis.

An elderly man was killed in Alabama when a tornado struck his home, according to authorities in the city of Huntsville near the Tennessee border.

In the northern part of the country, in the small town of Belvidere west of Chicago in Illinois, part of the roof of a concert hall collapsed after a severe storm while the audience was watching a metal band performance, local media reported.

Additionally, Sean Chaddell, Fire Chief of Belvidere, stated that one person was killed and 28 others were injured, including 5 who were transported to the hospital due to serious injuries.

Local media spoke of more than 20 ambulances arriving at the site.

Television footage showed the evacuation of the wounded on stretchers, while images on social media showed debris and a large gap in the roof.

In the neighboring state of Indiana (north), 3 people died in a storm in Sullivan County, according to American media quoting authorities.

Photos posted on Twitter showed fallen telephone poles, collapsed houses, and debris on the roads.

Power was cut off to about 650,000 homes at least on Saturday in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia, according to the American "Power Outage" website.

The National Weather Service also warned of strong winds and severe storms that may hit the northeast of the country on Saturday, especially Ohio.

Tornadoes are a phenomenon that is difficult to predict and are frequent in the United States, especially in the central and southern parts of the country.

A week ago, a tornado hit Mississippi causing 26 deaths and severe property damage. President Joe Biden inspected the site on Friday.

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