Deaths reported as tornadoes sweep across the United States

More could be on their way as a “particularly dangerous” tornado watch was set
to continue until Friday evening in eight states.

“This is a particularly dangerous situation,” the national weather service
warned.

“Destructive tornadoes, large hail to 2.5 inches, thunderstorm wind gusts to
70 miles per hour and dangerous lightening are possible.”

Officials in Clark County, Indiana were scrambling to deal with widespread
damage from the storm after roads were blocked by fallen trees and debris
and power and phone lines were knocked out.

“The reports on the telephone were that Marysville is gone,” said Major Chuck
Adams, the sheriff department spokesman, said of a small town near the
Tennessee border.

“I can’t confirm any damage right there yet – we’re just trying to concentrate
on the more populated areas and we’ve been inundated with calls.”

The coroner had been called out to deal with one fatality, but Maj Adams said
he was not yet sure if it was storm-related.

The high school in Henryville suffered “quite a bit of damage” but luckily all
the children were evacuated safely and only minor injuries – some cuts and
scrapes – were reported, Adams told AFP.

Three deaths were reported in neighboring Jefferson County and four more were
reported in the town of Holton, Indiana, but sheriff dispatchers contacted
by AFP said they could not confirm the local media reports.

Alabama’s Madison county was also badly hit, with the weather service
reporting “people trapped in rubble with injuries,” houses destroyed, trees
ripped from the ground a power lines down.

Six injuries were reported after 100 homes were damaged in Cleveland,
Tennessee, the weather service said, and injuries were also reported in the
town of New Pekin, Indiana.

This latest outbreak of twisters comes as people were still picking through
rubble left behind by a series of twisters which struck six states on
Tuesday and Wednesday.

The town of Harrisburg, Illinois was the hardest hit after it was ripped apart
by a deadly twister that stayed on the ground for miles Wednesday, killing
at least six people and injuring more than 100.

Some 545 people were killed by tornadoes in 2011, which was the deadliest
tornado season since 1936 and the third worst on record, according to the
national weather service.

This year, the tornados seem to have come a bit early with the mild winter
creating the right conditions for cold fronts to slam into warmer air.

Peak tornado season in the southern states is usually March through May, and
in the northern states late spring to early summer.

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