MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Emergency crews search through the flattened Mayfield Consumer Products building on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and multiple fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (Brett Carlsen, Getty Images)
A swath of tornadoes tore through the Midwest Friday night, and Saturday’s early morning light revealed the sheer devastation left in its wake across multiple cities.
The weather event is being deemed as one of the most deadly tornado systems to run through the state of Kentucky, according to Gov. Andy Beshear, as damage and recovery efforts continue.
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Reports say the tornadoes touched down in Mayfield, Kentucky, Edwardsville, Illinois, and Monette, Arkansas.
In Mayfield, a tornado touched down for 227 miles and ripped through a candle factory. Gov. Beshear says deaths are feared in 10 counties and the toll could exceed 100.
The tornadoes also struck a nursing home in Arkansas and partially collapsed an Amazon facility in Illinois.
These photos show the storms’ devastation in Kentucky and Illinois. All photos are courtesy of Getty Images and The Associated Press:
These images were taken in Edwardsville, Illinois:
An Amazon distribution center is heavily damaged after a strong thunderstorm moved through the area Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Edwardsville, Ill. Tornadoes and severe weather were blamed for several deaths and injuries across parts of the Midwest and the South as a storm system caused significant damage at a candle factory in Kentucky, an Amazon facility in Illinois, a nursing home in Arkansas, and numerous homes and buildings.(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)A heavily damaged Amazon fulfillment center is seen Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, in Edwardsville, Ill. A large section of the roof of the building was ripped off and walls collapsed when strong storms moved through area Friday night. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)A heavily damaged Amazon fulfillment center is seen Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, in Edwardsville, Ill. A large section of the roof of the building was ripped off and walls collapsed when strong storms moved through area Friday night. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)A heavily damaged Amazon fulfillment center is seen Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, in Edwardsville, Ill. A large section of the roof of the building was ripped off and walls collapsed when strong storms moved through area Friday night. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)Workers use equipment to remove a section of roof left on a heavily damaged Amazon fulfillment center Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, in Edwardsville, Ill. The a large section of the roof of the building was ripped off and walls collapsed when a strong storms moved through area Friday night. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)Workers remove debris from an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Edwardsville, Illinois, on December 11, 2021, after it was hit by a tornado. - Tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky and causing multiple fatalities at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that suffered "catastrophic damage" with around 100 people trapped inside. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the storm -- a scene of "massive devastation," one official said. (Photo by Tim Vizer / AFP) (Photo by TIM VIZER/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)Workers remove debris from an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Edwardsville, Illinois, on December 11, 2021, after it was hit by a tornado. - Tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky and causing multiple fatalities at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that suffered "catastrophic damage" with around 100 people trapped inside. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the storm -- a scene of "massive devastation," one official said. (Photo by Tim Vizer / AFP) (Photo by TIM VIZER/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
These images were taken in Mayfield, Kentucky:
MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: A Kentucky National Guard helicopter surveys the tornado damage near Mayfield Consumer Products on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and multiple fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (Getty Images)Emergency workers search what is left of the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory after it was destroyed by a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky, on December 11, 2021. - Tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky and causing multiple fatalities at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that suffered "catastrophic damage" with around 100 people trapped inside. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the storm -- a scene of "massive devastation," one official said. (Photo by John Amis / AFP) (Photo by JOHN AMIS/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Heavy damage is seen of the Mayfield city hall and police department after a tornado swept through the area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (Getty Images)Bowling Green, Kentucky, residents look at the damage following a tornado that struck the area on December 11, 2021. - Tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky and causing multiple fatalities at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that suffered "catastrophic damage" with around 100 people trapped inside. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the storm -- a scene of "massive devastation," one official said. (Photo by Gunnar Word / AFP) (Photo by GUNNAR WORD/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Emergency crews search through the flattened Mayfield Consumer Products building on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and multiple fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Emergency crews search through the flattened Mayfield Consumer Products building on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and multiple fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Debris litter Fulton Road following a powerful tornado that left a path of destruction on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and multiple fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: General view as emergency crews search through the flattened Mayfield Consumer Products building on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and multiple fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Emergency crews including members of the coroners office search through the flattened Mayfield Consumer Products building on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and multiple fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (Getty Images)Bowling Green, Kentucky, residents look at the damage following a tornado that struck the area on December 11, 2021. - Tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky and causing multiple fatalities at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that suffered "catastrophic damage" with around 100 people trapped inside. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the storm -- a scene of "massive devastation," one official said. (Photo by Gunnar Word / AFP) (Photo by GUNNAR WORD/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)TOPSHOT - Bowling Green, Kentucky, residents look at the damage following a tornado that struck the area on December 11, 2021. - Tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky and causing multiple fatalities at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that suffered "catastrophic damage" with around 100 people trapped inside. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the storm -- a scene of "massive devastation," one official said. (Photo by Gunnar Word / AFP) (Photo by GUNNAR WORD/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Heavy damage is seen downtown after a tornado swept through the area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Emergency crews search through the flattened Mayfield Consumer Products building on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and multiple fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Interior view of tornado damage to Emmanuel Baptist Church on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night, leaving a large path of destruction. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Heavy damage is seen downtown after a tornado swept through the area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Emergency crews search through the flattened Mayfield Consumer Products building on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and multiple fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Emergency crews search through the flattened Mayfield Consumer Products building on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and multiple fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Tornado debris including the engine from an SUV litter a field next to the flattened Mayfield Consumer Products building on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and multiple fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: A classic Chevrolet sits amidst a tornado destroyed building on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and multiple fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: Heavy damage is seen downtown after a tornado swept through the area on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 11: Residents begin the process of salvaging their belongings after a tornado ripped through the area the previous evening on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes touched down in several Midwest states late evening December 10 causing widespread destruction and leaving an estimated 70-plus people dead. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)Tornado damage is seen after extreme weather hit the region December 11, 2021, in Mayfield, Kentucky. - Dozens of devastating tornadoes roared through five US states overnight, leaving more than 80 people dead Saturday in what President Joe Biden said was "one of the largest" storm outbreaks in history. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)A US national flag waves among tornado damage after extreme weather hit the region in Bowling Green Kentucky, December 11, 2021. - Dozens of devastating tornadoes roared through five US states overnight, leaving more than 80 people dead Saturday in what President Joe Biden said was "one of the largest" storm outbreaks in history. (Photo by Gunnar Word / AFP) (Photo by GUNNAR WORD/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)Bowling Green, Kentucky resident Jack Coles (R) tosses liquor bottles over the wall of what's left of WKU Liquors to salvage store inventory after extreme weather hit the region in Bowling Green Kentucky, December 11, 2021. - Dozens of devastating tornadoes roared through five US states overnight, leaving more than 80 people dead Saturday in what President Joe Biden said was "one of the largest" storm outbreaks in history. (Photo by Gunnar Word / AFP) (Photo by GUNNAR WORD/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: Rubble litters the town after a tornado ripped through Friday evening on December 12, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes touched down in several Midwest states late Friday evening causing widespread destruction and leaving an estimated 70-plus people dead. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY - DECEMBER 12: Homes and business are reduced to rubble after a tornado ripped through the area two days prior, on December 12, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes touched down in several Midwest states late evening December 10 causing widespread destruction and leaving more than 80 people dead. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)Tornado damage is seen after extreme weather hit the region December 12, 2021, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. - Dozens of devastating tornadoes roared through five US states overnight, leaving more than 80 people dead on December 11, 2021 in what President Joe Biden said was "one of the largest" storm outbreaks in history. (Photo by Gunnar Word / AFP) (Photo by GUNNAR WORD/AFP via Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)William Richards sits near his sons home as families pass out food in a neighborhood impacted by a tornado after extreme weather hit the region December 12, 2021, in Mayfield, Kentucky. - Dozens of devastating tornadoes roared through five US states overnight, leaving more than 80 people dead on December 11, 2021 in what President Joe Biden said was "one of the largest" storm outbreaks in history. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)Chris Buchanan, center and Niki Thompson, right, both from neighboring counties, attempt to rescue Cheyenne, a dog, from a tornado damaged home in Mayfield, Ky., on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021. Tornadoes and severe weather caused catastrophic damage across multiple states Friday, killing several people overnight. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
We’ll add more images to this story as they become available.
