Millions of lives are threatened by tornadoes as they tore through sections of Iowa, Illinois and Ohio Thursday in a "particularly dangerous situation" as described by forecasters of the National Weather Service.
The agency warned people across the Midwest to be on high alert for severe weather.
Brought about by extremely dangerous thunderstorms, tornadoes place lives and properties in central and southern Plains including the middle Mississippi Valley directly under harm's way.
Getting Aggravated
Already, one person in Fairdale Illinois is dead because of the severe weather disturbance, reveals Patti Thompson, speaking for a state emergency management as reported on CNN.
Damage is already being felt in Rochelle Illinois where "multiple reports of injuries and damage" came forward according to Ogle Country Sheriff's dispatchers.
Fearing a worst-case scenario, the Rochelle Community Hospital was in "disaster mode" reveals Kelly Smith, spokeswoman of the hospital.
A prominent storm chaser Dan Gottschalk revealed that he observed "massive damage" in the area north of Rochelle as he spotted homes uprooted with only the foundations remaining.
"You can hear the hissing everywhere from where the structures used to be," he expounded.
Further aggravating the circumstances, it is becoming increasingly difficult to access communities "due to damage and debris," divulged the Rockford Fire Department who observed "significant damage" while searching for trapped victims in Kirkland, Illinois.
Millions on the Line
Accuweather.com Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity disclosed, "Wednesday is part of a multiple-day severe weather outbreak that will continue to progress eastward into the end of the week."
Further Margusity explained, "The outbreak will include hundreds of incidents of damage from wind and hail, as well as perhaps a number of dangerous tornadoes."
In effect, these severe thunderstorms will directly affect the Central states composed of approximately 30 million people.
While only a minimal fraction of these population will lie on the direct path of ensuing tornadoes, there is a possibility the situation will turn into a serious weather disturbance.
Finally Accuweather revealed that cities in the line of the severe weather disturbance could include Peoria in Illinois, Cedar Rapids and Ottumwa in Iowa, Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and Joplin in Missouri, Topeka, Emporia, Chanute and Wichita in Kansas, Oklahoma City and Tulsa in Oklahoma and Dallas and Wichita Falls in Texas.
The weather expert advised that people should be ready to seek shelter once a tornado warning is issued and should have a plan of action ahead of time before the tornado ravage their homes.
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