A freelance reporter from Kentucky recounted that he thought he would die after a massive tornado ripped his Jeep off a Tennessee highway.
Through his Twitter account, reporter Nick Sorton attached the photo of his destroyed vehicle, as well as his bloody face.
“I really thought I was going to die the moment this massive tornado in Tennessee picked up my car and blew it off the road,” Sorton said.
The reporter added that he is about to upload a video explaining what happened in the next few hours, and he appreciated the messages of support he received.
“I really appreciate everyone’s words of support. It means more than you think. Tried to post this immediately after the tornado to serve as a warning but couldn’t,” Sorton tweeted. “My Jeep is wrecked, but that’s nothing compared to the lives ruined here.”
Sorton’s accounts come after at least 18 deaths were recorded in the outbreak of tornadoes that ripped through the Midwestern and southern United States, leaving dozens hospitalized and thousands without power.
The number of deaths could increase in the next few hours while the emergency services of the most affected states go through the streets in order to assess damage and find survivors, reported the EFE news agency.
Seven of the reported deaths are from Tennessee, five from Arkansas, three from Indiana, one from Illinois, one from Alabama, and one more from Mississippi.
Structurally, the tornadoes have left about 60,000 homes without power in Tennessee, and 37,000 in Arkansas, with these being the hardest-hit states, according to data from PowerOutage.us.
The storm is expected to move east on Saturday, so high wind watches have been issued in Georgia and Alabama.