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at least four People, including an infant, have died after tornadoes swept across Oklahoma overnight, as severe storms, heavy rain and large hail threaten from Missouri to Texas on Sunday.
According to the National Weather Service, several large and extremely dangerous tornadoes were reported simultaneously in parts of Oklahoma on Saturday night.
Two of the deaths occurred in Holdenville and the third occurred near Marietta on I-35, according to Kelly Cain, director of public affairs for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
The fourth death occurred in Sulphur, the hardest-hit town in Murray County, Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt said at a news conference Sunday.
The weather service confirmed 22 tornadoes in the Norman area. Tornadoes of at least EF-3 strength touched down in Sulfur and Marietta Saturday night, according to the weather service. The EF-3 rating indicates wind speeds of 136 mph or more.
Stitt said, “It seems as if every trading town here has been destroyed in the sulfur.” “This is definitely the most damage I’ve seen since I’ve been governor.”
Stitt said about 30 people were injured in Sulfur and their conditions were unknown.
He The governor issued an emergency disaster declaration and will be touring storm damage in Sulfur and Holdenville, the governor shared in a video message.
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said there were reports of injuries, property damage, flooding and downed power lines and trees in several counties Saturday night. The extent of the damage was not clear Sunday morning.
Injuries and impacts caused by at least two large tornadoes were seen overnight in Sulphur, about 80 miles south of Oklahoma City, according to the weather service, as a flood warning was issued for the city.
“A large and extremely dangerous tornado was located south of Sulphur, moving north at 35 mph. First responders need to immediately prepare for additional tornado impacts!!!” the weather service in Norman warned.
About 47 million people are at risk of severe weather from East Texas northward to the upper Mississippi River Valley on Sunday, as communities in Nebraska and Iowa survey the devastation the storm has already left behind.
Cities including Dallas and Austin in Texas, Oklahoma City and Tulsa in Oklahoma, Wichita and Topeka in Kansas, and the Kansas City metropolitan area could see strong tornadoes as the storm moves eastward across the southern Plains.
More than 4 million people are under a tornado watch Sunday night.
The watches extended from parts of eastern Texas into northern Louisiana, far western Mississippi, western Arkansas, far eastern Oklahoma and southwestern Missouri as of late Sunday night. The region includes the cities of Fort Smith and Pine Bluff in Arkansas and Shreveport in Louisiana.
The Storm Prediction Center says the storm could drop hail the size of ping pong balls and produce damaging winds up to 70 mph.
weather service Two tornadoes were reported crossing Oklahoma’s Highway 9 between Goldsby and Blanchard at the same time late Saturday night, as well as east of Tinker Air Force Base. And as a tornado was headed toward Norman, the University of Oklahoma warned students and staff to “take shelter inside the building you are in now. Go to the lowest floor/interior room.”
Oklahoma’s emergency operations center was activated Saturday, according to a Facebook post from Governor Kevin Stitt. “Be aware of the weather and know where to seek shelter if there is a threat of a severe storm in your area,” he told residents.
In addition to tornadoes, storms are bringing heavy rainfall that can aggravate life-threatening conditions.
Nearly 10 inches of water had fallen in Trinity County, Texas, by Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service in Houston, creating a flash flood emergency and prompting crews to respond quickly to water rescues. The service warned it was facing an “extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation”.
The Storm Prediction Center has raised the severe storm threat for Sunday to level 3 out of 5 from East Texas to southern Missouri, including Shreveport, Little Rock and Springfield. Communities from southeast Texas to southern Iowa are under a Category 2 severe hurricane threat out of 5.
Unstable weather is expected to continue in the central part of the country till Monday.
“In addition to severe weather, these storms are also likely to be accompanied by intense rainfall rates at times, leading to moderate to localized flash flooding,” the National Weather Service said.
The storm led to reports of dozens of tornadoes in at least six states on Friday and Saturday, with images of fallen homes and debris seen in communities in Nebraska and Iowa.
Tornado wreaks havoc in Nebraska and Iowa
One person has died after a tornado struck Minden, Iowa, during a severe weather outbreak Friday, according to Pottawattamie County Emergency Management.
Pottawattamie County spokesman Craig Carlson said three of the four people were treated for storm-related injuries and released Friday, while a fourth person was initially listed in stable condition but later died from his injuries. happened.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for Pottawattamie County on Saturday in response to Friday’s severe weather.
Omaha resident Jason Sunday and his family were in their new Elkhorn home just 30 days ago when a tornado hit like a “freight train,” he told CNN affiliate KETV.
As the tornado approached on Friday, he sought cover in his home.
“We were in the bathtub downstairs and it was exactly like it was said in the movie, it was like a freight train,” Sunday told KETV. “And you knew the ceiling was falling in because of that loud pop and sucking motion. it was scary.”
The tornado heavily damaged the family’s new home, and they now face the problem of rebuilding.
“We are grateful to be alive. We are very grateful,” Sunday said.
Like Sunday, many residents of Omaha and across Nebraska are dealing with extensive damage to their homes after multiple tornadoes struck Friday.
One of the hardest hit communities is Elkhorn in Omaha, Nebraska. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pilen told reporters Saturday that it was a miracle there were no deaths.
Video shows violent tornado crossing highway in Nebraska
“Nebraskas are no strangers to severe weather, and as has happened countless times before, it’s time to help Nebraskans rebuild,” the governor said in a post on Instagram.
One of the tornadoes that struck Douglas County had a preliminary rating of EF-3 and winds with a maximum speed of 135 mph, according to Chris Franks of the National Weather Service. The second, which fell at Omaha’s airport, appeared to be an EF-2, he said.
On the outskirts of Lincoln, Nebraska, a tornado blew roofs off homes and crossed, cutting off part of I-80. According to a railway spokesperson, several cars of a train derailed near Waverly after being hit by the tornado.
Pilen issued an emergency declaration for Douglas, Lancaster and Washington counties Sunday night after Friday’s severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. The emergency declaration makes Nebraska counties eligible to receive recovery aid funding through the state, the governor said.
In Pottawattamie County, Iowa, about 120 homes and businesses were damaged, county emergency management officials said.
According to the National Weather Service, a large tornado was reported in the small town of Minden in Pottawattamie County. Footage obtained by CNN shows the devastation of damaged structures and widespread debris.
More than 80 tornadoes were reported in at least five states on Friday alone, many of which have been confirmed through footage from the weather service or storm chasers.
