Powerful storms kill 3 as tornadoes tear through central and southeastern US

COLUMBIA, Tenn. (AP) — Severe storms were tearing through the central and southeast U.S. late Tuesday and Wednesday, spawning damaging tornadoes, producing massive hail, and killing two people in Tennessee and one person in North Carolina.

A storm that rumbled across northeastern Tennessee brought high winds that knocked down powerlines and trees. Claiborne County Sheriff Bob Brooks said a 22-year-old man was in a car struck by one of the trees.

Wednesday afternoon, a tornado emergency — the weather service's highest alert level — was issued for an area south of Nashville including the towns of Spring Hill, Chapel Hill and Eagleville.

The National Weather Service had previously reported a likely tornado on the ground in nearby Columbia, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) south of Nashville. People in Columbia were injured and homes were damaged, according to Lynn Thompson, assistant director of Maury County 911. Thompson told The Associated Press that he could not provide any further details: “We’re getting overloaded right now.”

Rita Thompson, Marketing & Communications director with Maury Regional Health, said the hospital had received five patients. One died, another was in serious condition and three had injuries that were not life-threatening.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary ground stop at Nashville International Airport because of the weather, media outlets reported. Northeast of Nashville, a flash flood emergency was issued for Sumner and Robertson counties including the cities of Hendersonville and Gallatin. The National Weather Service said water rescues were ongoing in those areas and described the flooding from heavy thunderstorms as life-threatening.

“Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order,” the weather agency alert said.

The National Weather Service in Nashville on Wednesday evening issued a tornado watch for parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee until 3 a.m. CDT. The weather service continued issuing tornado warnings into the night, mostly in Tennessee, but also in Missouri, Alabama, Georgia and Texas.

In North Carolina, a state of emergency was declared for Gaston County Wednesday evening following a large storm. First responders were working to clear roads of downed power lines and broken trees and were helping residents, officials said. The New Hope Fire Department responded to a tree down on a car. One person in the car was killed and another was taken to a hospital, officials said.

More than 135,000 customers had lost power in the state as of Wednesday evening, according to PowerOutage.us.

The National Weather Service confirmed tornadoes touched down Tuesday in western Ohio: five in Warren County and one each in Darke, Mercer and Auglaize counties. The weather service said crews are still surveying areas in other counties to determine if tornadoes struck there, as well. The strong storms also brought hail and heavy rains to the state and knocked out power to thousands of utility customers.

In Michigan, weather service meteorologist Nathan Jeruzal said the tornadoes there touched down one each in Kalamazoo, Cass and Branch counties — all in the southwestern part of the state. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for four counties.

Kalamazoo County's Portage area was hard hit as a FedEx facility was ripped apart and more than a dozen mobile homes were destroyed. About 50 people temporarily were trapped inside the damaged facility because of downed power lines.

More than a dozen homes were destroyed in a mobile home park in adjacent Pavilion Township and 16 people were injured, said Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller.

Samantha Smith clutched a box Wednesday afternoon as she stepped from her mother’s partially wrecked home in Pavilion Township, about 137 miles (220 kilometers) west of Detroit. Inside the box were her grandmother’s ashes. Being able to recover the most cherished of items offered Smith a rare moment of relief amid the storm’s devastation. She said her parents and brother were injured during the storm but survived.

“I have thanked God probably a billion times since this happened yesterday,” she said. “My kids are healthy and good. We just gotta make back up what we lost.”

Travis Wycoff ventured out Tuesday night after seeing on radar that a tornado had touched down in the Portage area, and he said he helped an elderly couple out of their partially collapsed home and freed a service dog from a home.

“There were a lot of people running through the streets trying to find people and their pets,” Wycoff said. “It was just a lot of chaos.”

In southern Indiana, the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down early Wednesday. The Clark County Emergency Management Agency said the storm damaged 24 structures, including homes in a subdivision north of the city of Sellersburg, located about 12 miles (19 kilometers) north of Louisville, Kentucky.

Candice Holmes, a resident of the Lewis & Clark subdivision north of Sellersburg, said she, her husband and son sought shelter in their bathroom when they heard the approaching storm and “the wind just picked up all at once.”

“It was definitely a scary moment. ... And I’m glad we’re alive,” Holmes told WDRB-TV.

Tornadoes were also confirmed in Pennsylvania just outside Pittsburgh, in central Arkansas and in northern West Virginia. The West Virginia twister was at least the 11th tornado this year in the state, which sees two tornadoes in an average year.

Baseball-sized hail was reported Wednesday in areas just southwest of St. Louis. Heavy downpours caused flash flooding and at least one water rescue near Sullivan, a town that was struck by a small tornado just two days earlier. Damaging hail also was reported in the Kansas City area.

On Monday, parts of the central United States were battered by heavy rain, strong winds, hail and tornadoes, including a deadly twister that ripped through an Oklahoma town. Both the Plains and Midwest have been hammered by tornadoes this spring.

Across the U.S., the entire week is looking stormy. The Midwest and the South are expected to get the brunt of the bad weather through the rest of the week, including in Indianapolis, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee — cities where more than 21 million people live. It should be clear over the weekend.

Cappelletti and White reported from Detroit. Associated Press journalists around the country contributed to this report, including Rio Yamat, Heather Hollingsworth, Colleen Slevin, Jim Salter, Kathy McCormack, Sarah Brumfield, Beatrice Dupuy, Alexa St. John, Adrian Sainz, John Raby and Lisa Baumann.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Emergency crews are seen along Cranford Hollow Road after severe storms tore through the area Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Columbia, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Charles Hodge works to clear storm damage at a home along Cothran Road, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Columbia, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Residents work to remove downed trees at their home along Cothran Road after severe storms tore through the area, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Columbia, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

A home damaged by severe weather is pictured Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Columbia, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

A utility truck passes damaged trees along Cothran Road, after severe storms tore through the area, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Columbia, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Storm debris litters a portion of Cranford Hollow Road, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Columbia, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Charles Hodge works to clear storm damage at a home along Cothran Road, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Columbia, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Utility workers survey storm damage along Cothran Road, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Columbia, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Greenville, Ohio, resident Brenda Pollitt wipes the tears from her eyes as she removes important papers from her bedroom, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Pollitt and her children were home at the time of the strong storm that hit Tuesday evening, May 7. She and her family ran downstairs and were all safe. (Marshall Gorby/Dayton Daily News via AP)

Storm damaged mobile homes are surrounded by debris at Pavilion Estates mobile home park just east of Kalamazoo, Mich. Wednesday, May 8, 2024. A tornado ripped through the area the evening of May 7. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)

Storm damaged mobile homes are surrounded by debris at Pavilion Estates mobile home park just east of Kalamazoo, Mich. Wednesday, May 8, 2024. A tornado ripped through the area the evening of May 7. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)

Storm damaged mobile homes are surrounded by debris at Pavilion Estates mobile home park just east of Kalamazoo, Mich. Wednesday, May 8, 2024. A tornado ripped through the area the evening of May 7. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)

Storm damaged mobile homes are surrounded by debris at Pavilion Estates mobile home park just east of Kalamazoo, Mich. Wednesday, May 8, 2024. A tornado ripped through the area the evening of May 7. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)

A mobile park home flipped onto two nearby cars after a tornado struck Pavilion Estates near Kalamazoo, Mich. on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Joey Cappelletti)

A mobile park home at Pavilion Estates near Kalamazoo, Mich. is destroyed on the morning of Wednesday, May 8, 2024 after a tornado had swept through the night before. (AP Photo/Joey Cappelletti)

Storm damaged mobile homes are surrounded by debris at Pavilion Estates mobile home park just east of Kalamazoo, Mich. Wednesday, May 8, 2024. A tornado ripped through the area the evening of May 7. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)

A storm damaged mobile home is surrounded by debris at Pavilion Estates mobile home park just east of Kalamazoo, Mich. Wednesday, May 8, 2024. A tornado ripped through the area the evening of May 7. (AP Photo/Joey Cappelletti)

A storm damaged mobile home rests in the street at Pavilion Estates mobile home park just east of Kalamazoo, Mich. Wednesday, May 8, 2024. A tornado ripped through the area the evening of May 7. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)

People leave after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Multiple injuries were reported at the park. (J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

Debris and damage from powerful storms are seen, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Debris is seen from a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)

Debris is seen from a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)

Debris litters the ground near a damaged building after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

An Oklahoma State Highway Patrol trooper searches storm damage Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Buildings appear damaged after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

Police and rescue personnel work at the scene after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

Debris litters the ground near damaged buildings after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Multiple injuries were reported at the park. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

Tim and Joy King looks at their house that was destroyed by a tornado Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Debris and damage from powerful storms are seen. Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

An Oklahoma State Highway Patrol trooper searches storm damage Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Oklahoma State Highway Patrol troopers search storm damage Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Brian Yazzie helps clean his mother's home after it was damaged by a tornado Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Debris and damage from powerful storms are seen. Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

People look through a damaged property after powerful storms hit the area, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

A woman walks around debris and damage caused by powerful storms, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Joy King, left, and her granddaughter Crystal Maxey hug in front of King's house that was destroyed by a tornado Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. The two were looking for King's cats and salvaging what items they could. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

People check a storm damaged home at sunrise Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Paden Fincher looks to salvage items from what's left of his sister's home following a severe storm, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. Fincher said his sister, her husband and their 3 children rode the storm out in the home. He said his sister was in surgery, but said she was going to be ok. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Debris and damage from powerful storms are pictured, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Carl Kelley and Jon Reynolds search through Kelley's mother's home after it was damaged by a severe storm, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Debris is seen from a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)

FedEx trucks sit outside a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)

GENEVA (AP) — With an assist from Paul McCartney the Paralympic Games starts its 100-day race on Monday to the opening ceremony in Paris in August.

The former Beatle has let “We All Stand Together” — the signature tune from an award-winning animated film he wrote and produced 40 years ago — be used in a promotional film for the International Paralympic Committee.

“Sir Paul really understands what we stand for as a movement and he was so generous to us,” IPC president Andrew Parsons told The Associated Press. “He was not difficult to convince, it was something that came very naturally.”

In 100 days from Monday, the Summer Paralympics opening ceremony on Aug. 28 will play out along a section of the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde. The 4,400 athletes taking part will compete over the following 11 days watched by up to 2.7 million spectators in venues including ones beneath the Eiffel Tower and at Versailles Palace.

“We have probably the most famous avenue in the world,” Parsons said in a recent interview. “That is really exciting. The city is really embracing Paralympic athletes, athletes with disabilities.”

“With our games we talk a lot about inclusion and it’s a good symbol of that. That very welcoming attitude is I think a very good start to our games.”

A turning point for the Paralympic movement came in London in 2012 when the host country rose to the occasion with huge ticket sales and a radically fresh approach to broadcasting it by Britain’s Channel 4.

“Still the benchmark games of our movement,” said Parsons, whose home nation Brazil hosted in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

To promote those Rio Paralympics, Channel 4 produced the “We’re the Superhumans” musical film that was a landmark of high-production values and inspirational images.

“Many broadcasters come to us in their preparations in different parts of the world and they normally ask, ‘What is Channel 4 doing?’” Parsons said. The IPC's trailer inspired by McCartney's “Rupert and the Frog Song” film is in that tradition.

The Paris Paralympics will have a record 164 broadcasters worldwide covering 549 events across 22 sports.

Beyond the field of play, the Paralympics has the aim — and past achievements — of changing society, especially in the host nation.

In France and Paris, Parsons, acknowledged, “there still is a lot of work to do when it comes to the mindset of the people and their perceptions of persons with disability.

“It has progressed since they got the games in 2017 but still there is a long way to go. And it doesn’t finish with the closing ceremony.”

Two weeks after the Paralympics close on Sept. 8 the United Nations hosts a global meeting Parsons hopes can drive change.

At the Summit of the Future on Sept. 22-23 the UN will measure progress towards its 17 sustainable development goals.

“We do believe our movement has, in terms of persons of disability been a little bit left behind, if you compare to other human rights movements such as gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity,” Parsons said. “They have been more preeminent in the big debates at the highest possible level.

“We believe that these (Paris) games will be able to really remind global leaders that there is 1.2 billion persons with disabilities out there that need to be included in those conversations.”

AP Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

FILE - The padded hands of Diane Roy of Canada are seen as she waits to compete in the women' 800-meter T54 heat at the 2012 Paralympics games, on Sept. 4, 2012, in London. With an assist from Paul McCartney, the Paralympic Games starts its 100-day race Monday to the opening ceremony in Paris in August. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

FILE - Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee of the Paris 2024 Games, speaks during a media conference in Paris, on Aug. 28, 2023. With an assist from Paul McCartney, the Paralympic Games starts its 100-day race Monday to the opening ceremony in Paris in August. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

Republican Guards ride up the Champs-Elysees avenue during ceremonies marking the 79th anniversary of Victory Day, Wednesday, May 8, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool)

The Britain versus Netherlands sitting volleyball preliminary match at the 2012 Paralympics, on Sept. 1, 2012, in London. Netherlands won the match. With an assist from Paul McCartney, the Paralympic Games starts its 100-day race Monday to the opening ceremony in Paris in August(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

FILE - Paul McCartney performs at Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, on June 25, 2022. With an assist from Paul McCartney, the Paralympic Games starts its 100-day race Monday to the opening ceremony in Paris in August. (Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP, File)