The National Weather Service received reports of nearly three dozen tornadoes touching down on Wednesday, with more tornadoes possible on Thursday in the mid-South.
At least 11 tornadoes were reported in Missouri, while Kentucky reported six. There were also possible twisters in Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Extensive storm damage was also reported in Indiana, near Indianapolis.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency reported two deaths associated with Wednesday's storms, one in McNairy County and another in Obion County. Officials also reported an additional death in Fayette County, Tennessee.
A large tornado was spotted in Lake City, Arkansas, on Wednesday. There is no word on whether that twister caused any injuries or fatalities, but multiple buildings were destroyed.
Several workers had to be rescued from a warehouse in Brownsburg, Indiana after the roof collapsed.
Multiple semitrailers were blown over on a highway near South Bend.
There were also reports of a tornado ripping the roof off a motel in Nevada, Missouri.
National Weather Service survey teams will evaluate the damage to determine whether the storm damage was caused by tornadoes or straight-line winds.
Wednesday's tornadoes struck as the Storm Prediction Center had forecasted a rare high risk for severe weather in the mid-South. A high risk of severe weather is a level 5 on the Storm Prediction Center's 0–5 scale.
The Storm Prediction Center generally reserves the declaration of a high risk for severe weather for what it forecasts to be among the most violent tornado outbreaks of a given year.
The active start to April follows what was considered a busy month for tornadoes in the U.S. There were 285 reported twisters in the month of March, potentially marking the most active March in decades for tornado activity in the U.S.
More tornadoes are possible for many of the same regions. An enhanced risk of storms is forecast for parts of the mid-South on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Areas in and around Memphis and Little Rock face a risk of experiencing large tornadoes on Thursday, the Storm Prediction Center said.
