In photos: Tornados tear through U.S. Midwest overnight
Tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight Friday, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky and causing multiple fatalities at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that suffered massive damage. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the storm -- a scene of "massive devastation," one official said.
Buildings are demolished in downtown Mayfield, Kentucky on Saturday, after a tornado traveled through the region Friday night.Ryan C. Hermens/The Associated Press
People survey damage from a tornado is seen in Mayfield, Kentucky on Saturday. Tornadoes and severe weather caused catastrophic damage across multiple states late Friday, killing several people overnight.Mark Humphrey/The Associated Press
Heavy damage is seen in downtown Mayfield, Kentucky after a tornado swept through the area late on Friday night leaving a large path of destruction and unknown fatalities.Brett Carlsen/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, Kentucky.Mark Humphrey/The Associated Press
Interior view of tornado damage to Emmanuel Baptist Church in Mayfield, Kentucky, after multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night.Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
A derailed train is seen amid damage and debris after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several U.S. states in Earlington, Kentucky, on Saturday.CHENEY ORR/Reuters
A house destroyed by a tornado that devastated Campbellsville, Kentucky.Michael Clubb/The Associated Press
A responder at the site of a massive roof collapse at an Amazon distribution center after a tornado hit Edwardsville, in Illinois overnight.LAWRENCE BRYANT/Reuters
The courthouse in Mayfield, Kentucky sustained heavy damage after multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night.Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
Bowling Green, Kentucky, residents look at the damage following a tornado that struck the area on Dec. 11.GUNNAR WORD/AFP/Getty Images
A heavily damaged Amazon fulfillment center is seen Saturday in Edwardsville, Illinois.Jeff Roberson/The Associated Press
Residents survey some of the completely destroyed homes in Mayfield, Kentucky, after an overnight tornado left at least 70 dead across four states.William DeShazer/The New York Times News Service
A large semi trailer is flipped over and pushed against a building in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on Saturday. Overnight, a storm system tore through a candle factory in Kentucky, an Amazon facility in Illinois and a nursing home in Arkansas.Dylan T. Lovan/The Associated Press
A Bowling Green, Kentucky, resident surveys the damage following a tornado that struck the area on Dec. 11.AFP Contributor#AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Damage from a tornado is seen in downtown Mayfield, Kentucky.Mark Humphrey/The Associated Press
Bowling Green, Kentucky, residents look at the damage following a tornado that struck the area overnight Friday.GUNNAR WORD/AFP/Getty Images
People survey damage from a tornado is seen in Mayfield, Kentucky, on Saturday. Tornadoes and severe weather caused catastrophic damage across multiple states late Friday.Mark Humphrey/The Associated Press
Emergency personnel and first responders from nine neighboring counties, help clear debris and search for survivors in the neighborhood off Creekwood Avenue in Bowling Green, Kentucky.Grace Ramey/The Associated Press
Emergency response workers dig through the rubble of the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky.Timothy D. Easley/The Associated Press
A person stands near debris causeD by tornado damage in Mayfield, Kentucky on Saturday.Mark Humphrey/The Associated Press
Storms swept through Bowling Green, Kentucky, near the Tennessee border, tearing roofs off homes and flinging debris into roadways.Reuters
Residents of Bowling Green, Kentucky assess the damage of their properties after a tornado tore through the area in the early hours of Saturday.Grace Ramey/The Associated Press
Jason Branpena, 11, left, holds up an American flag as he helps his family sort through the remains of his aunt's house in Bowling Green, Kentucky.Grace Ramey/The Associated Press
National guardsmen block the road leading to a candle factory which suffered severe damage after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several U.S. states, in Mayfield, Kentucky.CHENEY ORR/Reuters
Damaged property is seen from the air in Dickson County, Tennessee, on Saturday after heavy storms hit the area.George Walker IV/The Associated Press
Luke Schockley moves debris from a tornado inside his parent in-law's house in Bowling Green, Kentucky.Michael Clubb/The Associated Press
Kenny Sanford exits his mother-in-law's apartment through a collapsed wall Saturday in Mayfield, Kentucky.Mark Humphrey/The Associated Press