Storm robs Christmas cheer for US South, Southwest and Midwest - 43 reported killed

There is no Christmas cheer for people of the US South, Southwest and Midwest because of storms that have been raging in the region. The storm has unleashed floods and tornadoes in which at least 43 persons have been killed. The storm has also flattened buildings and snarled transportation for millions during a busy travel time.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 28 December 2015.

Powerful tornadoes usually occur during spring and summer in central states but frequency is less in winter, according to U.S. weather data. In view of the bad weather or threat of it, the governors of Missouri and New Mexico has declared a state of emergency for their states.
Flash floods have killed at least 13 people in Missouri and Illinois. Governor Jay Nixon has revealed that in Missouri, emergency workers have evacuated residents from their homes and conducted dozens of water rescues. At least eight people had been killed and numerous roadways had been closed.
In Texas, at least 11 people were killed in the Dallas area over the weekend by tornadoes, including one packing winds of up to 322 km per hour. The twister hit the city of Garland, and left eight dead while blowing vehicles off highways. Another three deaths were reported in the Dallas metropolitan area which is the United States` fourth most populous with about 7 million residents. Scores of people were injured in the region and more than 100 homes were damaged or destroyed, officials said.
The storms have come on the heels of tornadoes that hit two days before Christmas - in this, at least 18 people were killed, including 10 in Mississippi.
The bad weather has forced the cancellation of more than 1,100 flights in the nation on Sunday. Nearly half of the canceled flights were in Dallas which is a major US flight hub.


(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Tornado strikes Illinois, leave at least two dead and homes destroyed

#Fairdale #Tornado #Illinois #BruceRauner A storm in Illinois has killed two people in the town of Fairdale and has destroyed at least a dozen homes by sweeping them from their foundations – the storm system rumbled through the US Midwest. Many persons have been injured in the storm as reported in news.sky.com dated 10 April 2015.
One of the dead woman was killed in her home while the body of the other woman was discovered during a "secondary search".

The town of Fairdale was basically a farming community of about 150 residents and is located 75 miles (120km) from Chicago. Due to the storm, the power had to be cut off and the residents had to be evacuated.
One of the residents had taken shelter in a stairwell as the twister sent the upstairs crashing into the living room and simultaneously demolished the north wall. She had got the property renovated at a cost of $50,000 and watched it destroyed.
Damage had also been reported from Rochelle which is another small town about 80 miles (130km) west of Chicago. Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner had visited the town of Fairdale to survey the damages and get firsthand information. As a result of the storm, nearly 900 flights were cancelled at O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport.

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