At least 21 people were killed in the southern, central and eastern United States by tornadoes and strong storms that destroyed homes, authorities said Saturday.

In Tennessee, seven deaths were attributed to the storm, all in McNairy County, east of Memphis, Disaster Management Agency spokeswoman Maggie Hannan told AFP.

They join the other 14 victims from the states of Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama, from the south, as well as from Indiana and Illinois, from the center and east of the country.

Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas, was hit hard. Residents woke up to overturned cars, uprooted huge trees, broken telephone poles and lit houses. According to its governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, at least five people died in this state.

“We know a lot of people have been displaced and are looking for shelter,” Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said.

The city of Wynn in the northeastern part of the state was “pretty much cut in half with damage from east to west,” Mayor Jennifer Hobbs told CNN.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who said Saturday she had discussed the situation with President Joe Biden, had declared a state of emergency a day earlier and deployed about 100 National Guardsmen.

Mississippi authorities reported one death and several injuries in Pontotoc County, about 200 miles south of Memphis.

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

In the north of the country, in the town of Belvidere, west of Chicago, Illinois, part of the roof and facade of the Apollo Theater collapsed in the middle of a concert by a heavy metal band due to a strong impact. storm.

Belvidere Fire Chief Sean Shadle reported one death and 28 injuries, including five hospitalized with serious injuries.

Television footage showed injured spectators being evacuated to the stands, while photos on social media showed widespread destruction and a gaping hole in the hall’s roof.

In Crawford County, three people died after a house collapsed, Illinois Emergency Management spokesman Kevin Suhr said.

In the neighboring state of Indiana, three people died due to a storm in Sullivan County, the authorities reported with reference to several American media.

According to the American website PowerOutage, more than 650,000 homes were without power on Saturday in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia.

The National Weather Service also warned of strong winds, possible tornadoes and severe thunderstorms for the Northeast on Saturday, including Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York state, with gusts up to 95 km/h.

Tornadoes, meteorological phenomena as spectacular as they are difficult to predict, are common in the United States, especially in the central and southern parts of the country.

A week ago, a tornado crossed Mississippi, killing 25 people and causing massive property damage. President Joe Biden visited there on Friday.

In December 2021, about 80 people were killed by tornadoes that swept through Kentucky.