Tornado

States in the Midwest and South have already seen many deadly tornadoes so far this year. These parts of the country are also where the number of severe events are steadily increasing.

A strong line of severe thunderstorms that began moving through the Southeast Missouri area, spawned multiple tornadoes and wind damage in the early morning hours of Wednesday, April 5th.

Although the bills would apply to companies beyond Amazon, Bush was clear in saying they were a response to the six warehouse workers who died last year in Edwardsville.

Hundreds of workers signed a petition seeking better working conditions. The group’s organizers say Amazon’s culture has led to safety issues.

In the wake of the storm, warehouse employees and supporters of labor said the building should have included a protective shelter, even though building codes do not require them.

“You have people that they’ve been coached to be concerned with basically Amazon’s belongings," one worker said. "That doesn’t make any sense to me. The response should simply be to seek shelter immediately.”

Both new lawsuits join a wrongful death lawsuit that was filed earlier this year on behalf of one of the six Amazon workers who died during the tornado.

One of the construction companies that built the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville responds to accusations that the building wasn't properly constructed

A report by a structures specialist who responded to the collapse says it appears support columns were not properly anchored to the floor.

There aren’t local or statewide rules in Illinois ensuring workers in the nearly 30 warehouses surrounding the Amazon facility that collapsed in December will be any safer the next time a tornado strikes the St. Louis region.