Since late Friday night, dozens of storms and tornadoes have struck the south-central and eastern United States, taking the lives of at least 26 people in small towns and large cities across the region.

These storms have also ripped a path through the state capital of Arkansas and caused the roof of a packed concert venue in Illinois to collapse, according to Breitbart News.

According to reports from the Associated Press (AP), verified or suspected tornadoes in at least eight states have damaged homes and businesses and wreaked havoc on communities over a large area of the country's middle.

As of late Saturday night, the strong gusts and heavy rains were moving to the east, and there was a forecast for thunderstorms, hail, and violent winds until the late hours of Sunday.

Lethal Damage

At least nine people lost their lives in a single county in Tennessee, four in a single community in the state of Arkansas, three in a single town in the state of Indiana, and four in the state of Illinois.

According to a report by the Associated Press, additional fatalities caused by the storms were reported in the states of Alabama and Mississippi, in addition to one death reported close to Little Rock, Arkansas, where city officials stated that more than 2,600 buildings were in the path of a tornado.

Workers are now clearing the area with chainsaws and bulldozers, while utility personnel are working to restore electricity. Recovery efforts are well under way.

According to Patrick Sheehan, director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, nine persons lost their lives in McNairy County, which is located east of Memphis in the state of Tennessee.

According to the Adamsville mayor, David Leckner, who spoke with the Associated Press, “The majority of the damage has been done to homes and residential areas."

Official Response

On Saturday, Governor Bill Lee made his way to the county to see the damage and offer locals words of consolation. After a school shooting in Nashville that left six people dead, including a family friend whose burial he and his wife, Maria, visited earlier in the day, he stated that the storm topped the "worst" week of his time as governor. This came days after the tragedy took place in Nashville.

“It’s terrible what has happened in this community, this county, this state,” Lee said. “But it looks like your community has done what Tennessean communities do, and that is rally and respond.”

On Friday, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas proclaimed a state of emergency throughout the state. As a result, the Arkansas National Guard was activated to assist in the state's recovery operations.

These terrible tornadoes strike just one week after a rare, long-track twister in Mississippi claimed the lives of 26 people.

The tornado that struck Mississippi a week ago traveled 59 miles and lasted around an hour and ten minutes, which is an exceptionally lengthy amount of time for a storm to maintain its strength. According to Breitbart News, it caused damage to over 2,000 dwellings.