Jacksonville woman in Tennessee for work survives massive storm with ‘long-track tornado’

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Emergency workers hunt what is near of the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory aft it was destroyed by a tornado successful Mayfield, Kentucky, connected December 11, 2021. - Tornadoes ripped done 5 US states overnight, leaving much than 70 radical dormant Saturday successful Kentucky and causing aggregate fatalities astatine an Amazon warehouse successful Illinois that suffered "catastrophic damage" with astir 100 radical trapped inside. The occidental Kentucky municipality of Mayfield was "ground zero" of the tempest -- a country of "massive devastation," 1 authoritative said. (Photo by John Amis / AFP) (Photo by JOHN AMIS/AFP via Getty Images) (JOHN AMIS, Getty Images)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville pistillate successful Tennessee for enactment caught the rear extremity of a monolithic storms strategy that has near dozens of radical dead.

Concetta Leanza said she got fortunate but had to brace herself erstwhile the storms headed her way.

She said the acquisition was similar thing retired of a movie, particularly proceeding those piercing sirens successful the street.

“It sounded similar that siren that goes disconnected successful the movie, ‘Purge.’ I ne'er heard that successful real-life before,” Leanza said.

Early reports accidental a bid of storms ripped done respective states.

It tore done homes and warehouses.

The National Weather Service said the tempest spawned a long-track tornado with its way lasting anyplace betwixt 160 and 220 miles.

Leanza was successful her edifice erstwhile she archetypal heard the quality of the tempest successful Kentucky and learned it was heading for Tennessee next.

“That made it a batch much real. It wasn’t conscionable rain, wind, oregon the anticipation of a tornado, astatine that constituent it was real, a tornado really deed and radical really mislaid their lives.”

But Leanza was blessed successful a fortunate twist of fate. As the tempest approached the edifice wherever she is stayong...,

“It fundamentally went astir america which is fortunate for maine but unlucky for them and that’s the craziest part,” she said.

The decease toll of 36 crossed 5 states includes six radical successful Illinois, wherever an Amazon installation was hit; 4 successful Tennessee; 2 successful Arkansas, wherever a nursing location was destroyed; and 2 successful Missouri.

Meteorologists said Kentucky was deed the hardest.