Tornadoes Tear Apart the Heartland

Good evening I'm Cynthia McFadden tonight breaking news as dozens of tornadoes deliver a body blow to the nation's midsection. Turning Townsend to rubble and leave -- at least 26 dead. Across to --... See More

Good evening I'm Cynthia McFadden tonight breaking news as dozens of tornadoes deliver a body blow to the nation's midsection. Turning Townsend to rubble and leave -- at least 26 dead. Across to -- states. The path of destruction is historic in its with with storms reported as far south as Georgia and is far north as Illinois. ABC's ginger Z has been chasing the storms all day and reports now from and -- Indiana ginger. Cynthia this is one of the most incredible scenes I've ever come upon -- storm chasing and this is one of the most incredible set ups. We -- coming for days but to see it come to fruition. Has been unbelievable. -- -- what are. Today will go down as one of the most destructive march stays in recent weather history. Tornadoes tearing up the heartland this twister took aim at the tiny town of Henry -- Indiana. -- bearing down with winds estimated to near 165. Miles per hour. The 2000 residents here hit by apparent tornadoes just minutes apart. -- told the station at a different point 08 years I've never seen anything remotely close to this. They -- part of -- -- added storms that ripped across the country today. Just the latest this week in a series of deadly twisters the results overwhelming devastation. We're looking at Henry bill. Indiana. Total destruction up there folks this is -- very serious. In Henry -- the well written off the high school a bus tossed on its side. But miraculously it appears that none of the 400 students were injured. One person died in Henry Hill and almost every landmark in this little community was destroyed. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- It was right. Right. At least thirteen people were killed across the state of Indiana we started chasing these violent storms first thing this morning. So where and all of a Kentucky and we need to get west already thunderstorms popping up all to our west what they will do is move east and northeast and the intent. Is to intercept them. This is actually. -- yet serious situation. A tornado emergency for northern matter and counting. The first two tornadoes of the -- touch down in the northeast corner of Alabama -- -- -- died this Advance Auto Parts store in harvest another damaging -- high school in new market Alabama. At the student filmed from inside. It's what it looked like from the outside. But there -- -- I don't -- ten people were injured before the storm continued -- north. This is going to be. That just a very dangerous day. And they have already issued a part particularly dangerous situation -- this is something they don't do very often called PE DS. Statements for the public. Just means danger today. It struck next in Tennessee. -- -- -- I haven't -- it really isn't in Chattanooga at least twenty homes were ripped off their foundations. As this monster system took aim at Indiana we caught sight of the State's biggest twister just as it was forming. Time is to LA got a -- Speculation. It is happening that atmosphere is angry right now I see it as the afternoon wore on there was no let up. When you hear -- tell you to get to your basement I want you to. Now walk -- which it'll run it down into your storm shelter so why this happened there are few answers but one is the position of the store. I had plenty of heat moisture to suck up from the Gulf of Mexico that's what fuels the long track thunderstorms. It had cold dry air from the northwest. An incredible difference in temperature over a short distance and most importantly it had winds here. The one element you need for tornadoes. Before today authorities have counted about 100 in twenty tornadoes. 50%. More than we normally have this time of year. Communities from Tennessee Indiana are still reeling from the impact of storms earlier in the week that left at least thirteen people dead. And hundreds injured Harrisburg -- -- it was one of the hardest hit this week half of the known deaths came from this small town. Today endured further tornado warnings again today. The images of destruction from across the heartland heartbreaking. As damaged communities try to dig out of the rubble left behind. Ginger C reporting for Nightline Henry -- Indiana.