At least 34 people have lost their lives in the US, with 12 fatalities reported in Missouri alone, following lethal tornadoes that swept through several southeastern states, overturning vehicles and demolishing residences.
In Kansas, at least eight people died when a dust storm led to a collision involving more than 55 vehicles.
Overnight into Sunday, more than 250,000 homes were left without electricity across seven states, including Michigan, Missouri, and Illinois, according to the outage tracker PowerOutage.
The region is expected to experience severe weather, with tornado watches issued for eastern Louisiana, western Georgia, central Tennessee, and the west of Florida’s Panhandle.
Six fatalities have been confirmed in Mississippi by Governor Tate Reeves, as numerous tornadoes affected the state.
Flash flooding and flood advisories have been issued for central Mississippi, eastern Louisiana, western Tennessee, and portions of Alabama and Arkansas as severe weather continues to move through the southeast.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has cautioned that these flash floods could be life-threatening. Numerous tornado warnings were also issued throughout Alabama on Saturday night.
Missouri’s emergency management agency reported initial assessments indicating that 19 tornadoes have impacted 25 counties thus far. A residence belonging to one of the 12 individuals who died in Missouri was destroyed by a tornado.
Arkansas has recorded three deaths and 29 injuries, leading Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to declare a state of emergency.
Georgia’s Governor, Brian Kemp, has also announced a state of emergency, while Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt confirmed the death of one person in his state.
A dust storm that resulted in three fatalities in Texas on Friday night caused a chain-reaction crash involving an estimated 38 vehicles. A subsequent death has been reported in Texas.
According to CBS, the destructive storms have sparked over 100 wildfires across several central states and caused numerous semi-trailer trucks to overturn.
One of these fires in Oklahoma, known as the 840 Road Fire, has already consumed 27,500 acres and remains completely uncontained, as per the Oklahoma Forestry Service. The agency has issued a “red flag” warning for the state’s panhandle area, indicating a significant fire risk.
In 2024, there were 54 fatalities due to tornado-related events, with Texas recording nine deaths. Oklahoma experienced eight fatalities, Arkansas had five, and Missouri saw one death.
