Kentucky and Missouri hit by severe storms

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Multiple storms in Kentucky and Missouri, some of which were accompanied by tornadoes, killed 14 people in Friday night's storms, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said Saturday. Seven more people died in Missouri, where authorities ordered a search for people trapped in buildings.

One of the tornadoes tore through Laurel County, Kentucky, on Friday evening and rescue efforts are ongoing for several missing people in the area. In Missouri, more than 5,000 homes suffered major structural damage.

Another tornado touched down in Scott County, about 200 kilometers from St. Louis. The tornado killed two people and injured several others. The situation in both states is serious and the damage assessment will take several more days.

Rescuers often risked their own lives as they responded to the tornado, making it their priority to provide immediate assistance to those in the hardest-hit areas. Firefighters are working around the clock to clear fallen trees from local and state roads and restore traffic as quickly as possible.

Friday's storms are part of an extreme weather system that also caused tornadoes in Wisconsin, causing widespread power outages in the Great Lakes region. A dust storm warning was also issued for the Chicago area on Friday.

In contrast, parts of Texas have been hit by heat waves, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in some places. Parts of the southern East Coast are also experiencing heat waves.

Source:Aljazeera