Cleanup begins in the wake of the violent tornados that swept through the country Friday and Saturday, uprooting trees and destroying homes.
As the search for survivors and damage assessments continue, the little girl who was found in critical condition a field in Pekin, IN, died Sunday afternoon. Kosair Children’s Hospital officials would not disclose the types of injuries Angel suffered, WAVE reports.
WAVE reported the toddler was identified as Angel Babcock. Her parents, 21-year-old Joseph Babcock and 20-year-old Moriah Brough, and her siblings, 3-year-old brother, Jaydon, and 7-week-old sister, Kendall, perished in the twister that decimated parts of southern Indiana.
The death of young Angel Babcock has raised the death toll to at least 38 people so far in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Alabama and Georgia.
WGCL reported rescue crews found the body of an elderly woman from Alpharetta, GA, who had been missing since the storms Friday.
A total of 20 died in Kentucky, according to Gov. Steve Beshear’s office. Reporters from WXIX said at least three fatalities were counted in Kenton County, KY.
CNN reported 12 people have died in Indiana, revised down from 14 previously reported by officials. WAVE reported that included four in Washington County, and there were another four who were critically injured.
One of the four victims in Jefferson County, IN, was a 4-year-old boy. A family friend told WAVE the child was ripped from his mother’s hands by the storm that went through Chelsea.
Three people were dead from the storms in Ohio, according to WXIX. All three died in Clermont County.
At least one person died and two were injured in Tallapoosa County, AL, according to WSFA. A super-cell that spawned an EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 125 mph tore through central Alabama Friday evening and into early Saturday morning.
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley issued a statement Saturday. He said first responders and emergency officials were in several of the communities affected.
“Across the state, we will use every resource we have available to provide assistance,” Bentley said. “Recovering from another round of storms will be a long-term process. That process is always difficult. But I have seen the determination of our people, and we will rebuild and recover together. Our prayers are with every person who has been affected.”
More destruction could be seen from Saturday’s severe weather. Areas in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina were placed under tornado warnings.
The NWS issued 297 tornado warnings and 388 severe thunderstorm warnings from Friday through early Saturday, according to the AP. At one time, 17 states were under threat of major weather.
As many as 95 tornadoes were reported within 24 hours.
The National Weather Service said an EF-tornado with 175 mph winds hit in Henryville, IN, about 20 miles north of Louisville, KY, causing widespread damage. It touched down around 3 p.m. Friday, destroying Henryville Junior-Senior High School, overturning a bus and tossing another into the side of a building across the road.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels spoke outside what was left of the school Saturday.
“When you see the damage done to this school and then to know we didn’t lose a single life; that’s a merciful thing,” Daniels said.
He also said it showed you could “never be too prepared.”
“The emphasis on preparation, on [tornado] drills and so forth seems like a nuisance until you really need it,” Daniels said. “It probably saved a lot of lives here.”
Nine tornadoes hit north Alabama on Friday morning, causing structural damage in Limestone County and Madison County. The Limestone Correctional Facility took a “direct hit” according to WAFF, but no one escaped the prison.
No fatalities had been reported from the north Alabama storms.
The AP reported that the town of Marysville, IN is “completely gone,” according to Clark County Sheriff’s Department Maj. Chuck Adams on Friday.
Hamilton County (TN) Emergency Management reported six to 10 people were transported to local hospitals and that officials set up a triage area to treat patients on-site in Ooltewah, TN, a suburb of Chattanooga.
Golf ball-sized hail rained down in Nashville, denting cars and beating in roofs.
Friday’s storms came only two days after deadly tornadoes struck Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee.
Six people died Wednesday in Illinois after an EF-4 tornado hit the southern town of Harrisburg. Three people were killed after storms and tornadoes ravaged Missouri, and one died from injuries after a tornado in Kansas.
Three people were killed when tornadoes touched down in Cumberland and DeKalb counties in Tennessee.
The Red Cross is one of many organizations reaching out to victims.
