As the death toll continues to rise, countless families have been left homeless and thousands without power as the tornadoes wreaked a path of destruction across multiple states. The devastation caused by the powerful twisters was particularly severe in Arkansas, where five lost their lives, and in Tennessee, where seven died.
The scenes of destruction have been heartbreaking for many who have lost their homes, businesses, schools, and churches. One resident in Arkansas’s Little Rock, where a major tornado hit, told the Washington Post that he no longer recognizes landmarks that he has known for decades. “I’m sad that my town has been hit so hard,” said Heidi Jenkins, a salon owner in Wynne, who lost her church and school to the tornadoes.