DEVELOPING WEATHER STORY

FEBRUARY SEVERE WEATHER BLASTS THROUGH MIDWEST, MIDSOUTH; AT LEAST 23 REPORTED DEAD, OVER 100 INJURED.

Springlike severe thunderstorms, many including tornadoes, blew through a large swath of the Midsouth Tuesday night, and is continuing to threaten portions of the region.

At least 23 are confirmed dead at this time, and over 100 are injured across Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and other neighboring states in a storm system bizarre for this time of year.

Seven of those deaths are in northern Arkansas, and at least six others died across the state. Widespread damage is reported across that state.

Tennessee is another very hard-hit state. A tornadic thunderstorm blew through the metropolitian Memphis area during the early evening. It destroyed a warehouse building, damaged a Caterpillar plant, and caused serious damage to the Hickory Ridge Mall, where a wall and the roof of a Sears store were heavily damaged. At least one fatility has been reported at Hickory Ridge. A hangar at Memphis International Airport that was occupied by the National Guard had its roof torn off. FedEx Corp. reported damage to some of its facilities at the airport in its hometown.

From there the storm followed Interstate 40 to Jackson, Tenn., where widespread damage was reported. Dorm buildings at Union University were reduced to rubble, trapping at least nine and injuring others. Classes at Union will reportedly be cancelled for two weeks to deal with the damage. At least 50 people were trapped in the damaged Jackson Oaks retirement home. Other damage was reported, as well, across West Tennessee, where at least four fatalities occured. Three other deaths were reported elsewhere in the Volunteer State.

The storms paraded across West and Middle Tennessee, and wreaked havoc in the areas around Nashville during the early night hours. The Columbia Natural Gas facility in Hartsville, Trousdale County, was slammed by a reported tornado, setting it on fire and throwing flames up to 500 feet into the air. The light from the fire was seen in all surrounding counties.

In Kentucky, three were reportedly killed when storms blasted a mobile home park in Muhlenberg County.

The storms interfered with Super Tuesday voting, as Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee were all holding their Presidential primaries. Presidential candidates Mike Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas, and Hillary Clinton, a previous Arkansas First Lady, all expressed condolances to those who have been affected by Tuesday's serious weather condition.

This is a developing story, as tornadic thunderstorms are still pushing through a stretch of the country from Ohio, through Middle Tennessee, and into Mississippi.

Memphis Commercial Appeal
Nashville Tennessean
Jackson, Tenn., Sun
Little Rock, Ark., Democrat-Gazette
CNN
Jackson, Tenn., photos
Middle Tennessee photos
Account of the fire at the Hartsville, Tenn., natural gas facility