A storm system marched through eight states April 2, spawning 63 tornadoes and killing at least 27 people, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Hardest hit was Tennessee, where 23 people were killed along one 25-mile path in the western part of the state.
Also affected were Iowa, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana.
Southern Baptists were busy sending disaster relief crews to the hardest-hit areas the week following the tornadoes.
According to reports from Baptist Press, the crews called on to respond were from the state conventions in the affected states.
Keith Hinson, spokesman for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, reported that while Alabama had not received a call for help, the state’s disaster relief teams would be willing to go if the need arose.
Most of the Tennessee deaths were reported in Gibson and Dyer counties, where victims included a baby and a family of four, AP said, and state officials estimated 1,200 buildings were damaged in Gibson County alone.
New reports indicate half a dozen tornadoes touched down in northeast Arkansas, leaving trails of destroyed homes and businesses and injuring dozens of people. No deaths were reported. (BP, TAB)
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