32 dead as tornadoes hit US; Missouri, Texas among worst-affected states

Multiple violent tornadoes have been tearing through the US, resulting in at least 32 deaths after a storm system swiftly moved across the nation since Friday. Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma rank among the most adversely affected states. Missouri reported the highest death toll among all states, with a minimum of 12 fatalities.

The number of fatalities increased when eight individuals passed away on Friday in Kansas following a crash involving over 50 vehicles on a highway.

“It was unrecognizable as a home. Just a debris field. The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls,” said coroner Jim Akers of Butler County , describing the experience of authorities attempting to rescue people amid the severe storm.

The governors of Arkansas and Georgia have both issued a state of emergency as weather conditions are predicted to become more severe starting late Saturday. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee has allocated $250,000 from a disaster recovery fund to assist those who were injured.

Oklahoma’s governor, Kevin Stitt, reported that 689 square kilometers of land were scorched in his state, along with 300 homes that sustained damage or were lost due to fires intensified by the winds. Multiple communities have been instructed to leave.

The severe weather brought by the storm system traversing the nation is expected to impact over 100 million individuals throughout the US. The lethal winds have triggered tornadoes and dust storms and even intensified the fires of multiple wildfires.

The American Storm Prediction Center asserted that the rapidly moving storms presented a danger, particularly if they surpassed hurricane strength at 100 mph. They also mentioned that tornadoes and hail “the size of baseballs” were anticipated on Saturday.

Eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, western Georgia, and the Florida panhandle are at elevated risk for tornadoes. In the meantime, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and New Mexico are expected to experience wildfires.

Severe winds have led to power outages affecting over 200,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, according to the website poweroutage.us.

The National Weather Service has released blizzard warnings for areas in far western Minnesota and far eastern South Dakota. These areas are forecasted to receive up to 6 inches of snow, along with gusty winds reaching speeds of 60 mph.