National

Photos: Before and after satellite images reveal the extent of tornadoes' destruction

by Elena Moore

BEFORE (left): Overview of Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory and nearby buildings before the tornado on Jan. 28, 2017. AFTER (right) Overview of the damage to the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory and nearby buildings after the tornado on
BEFORE (left): Overview of Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory and nearby buildings before the tornado on Jan. 28, 2017. AFTER (right) Overview of the damage to the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory and near Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies.

Multiple states in the South and Midwest are dealing with massive damage and destruction following a series of deadly tornadoes that ravaged the region Friday night into Saturday morning.

The extreme weather occurred in parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri — with communities in western Kentucky hit exceptionally hard.

More than 80 people have been reported dead in Kentucky alone, and that number is expected to surpass 100, Gov. Andy Beshear told NPR on Sunday.

Search and rescue operations are continuing throughout the area and a state of emergency has been declared.

What follows below are satellite images showing the scale of the devastation in three of the states that were hit.

Mayfield, Ky.

Monette, Arkansas

Edwardsville, Ill.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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