(Washington) At least eight people were killed by tornadoes and severe storms that hit the states of Arkansas, Indiana and Illinois on Friday, with high winds and thunderstorms now moving north – east of the country.

In Arkansas, a devastating tornado killed at least four people and injured nearly 30, the disaster management service of this rural state in the southern United States told AFP.

The inhabitants of Little Rock, the capital, woke up on Saturday to overturned cars, huge uprooted trees, broken telephone poles and gutted houses.

The town of Wynne in the northeastern part of the state is “basically cut in half by damage from east to west,” Mayor Jennifer Hobbs told CNN.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders had declared a state of emergency the day before and deployed about 100 National Guardsmen.

In the north of the country, in the small town of Belvidere, west of Chicago in the State of Illinois, part of the roof and the facade of the Apollo Theater collapsed in the middle of a concert. a heavy metal band due to a severe thunderstorm.

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

Television footage showed injured spectators being evacuated on stretchers, and photos on social media showed a waist-deep pile of debris and a gaping hole in the roof in the venue.

In the neighboring state of Indiana, three people were killed by a storm in Sullivan County, according to authorities, quoted by several American media.

At least 154,000 homes were without power on Saturday according to the American site Poweroutage.

The National Weather Service has also warned of high winds and strong storms that could hit the northeast of the country, including Ohio, on Saturday.

Tornadoes, meteorological phenomena as impressive as they are difficult to predict, are common in the United States, especially in the center and south of the country.

A week ago, a tornado swept through Mississippi, killing 25 people and causing extensive property damage. President Joe Biden visited the site on Friday.

In December 2021, approximately 80 people lost their lives after tornadoes hit Kentucky.

In the neighboring state of Indiana, two people were killed by a storm in Sullivan County, WTHI reported, citing Indiana police.