Topline
At least 34 people have died as a storm outbreak produced tornadoes, along with high winds and fires in the South that have leveled buildings and led to widespread states of emergency.
At least 12 people have died in Missouri as storms rip through the South and Midwest. (Missouri … [+]
Key Facts
Tornadoes were reported over the weekend in Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee, which ABC News notes is part of more than 500 reports of severe weather reported since Friday evening, including strong winds, hail and thunderstorms.
The storms have resulted in widespread damage across the country, with Missouri reporting significant incidents of homes and buildings torn apart by tornadoes while wildfires that spread from high winds in Oklahoma left homes and other areas in ruins.
At least eight people died in Kansas following a crash Friday on Interstate 70 near the Colorado border that involved more than 50 vehicles, according to the state’s Highway Patrol, an incident which also caused “numerous” injuries.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves reported Saturday night six people in the state have died as a result of the state’s severe weather, with 29 people injured and three missing.
At least 12 people died in Missouri, the Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed in a Facebook post Saturday afternoon, all of which were storm-related deaths.
The Arkansas Department of Public Safety confirmed Saturday three people died during the storms with at least 32 more injured, and the Texas Department of Public Safety said four people were killed in car crashes as a result of a dust storm.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said one person died in Oklahoma after driving into smoke caused by the storms, adding wildfires have burned more than 170,000 acres and have destroyed more than 290 homes.
Where Is Severe Weather Expected Sunday?
The worst of the nation’s storms is believed to have passed, though the National Weather Service reported early Sunday there’s still a “slight risk” of severe thunderstorms in parts of the Lower Great Lakes, Central Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, and the Southeast. The thunderstorms are expected to end by Monday, as the NWS projects the storms will move east to be over the Atlantic Ocean.
Key Background
Several states reported severe weather between Friday and Saturday, with people waking up Saturday morning to damaged homes, downed power lines and electricity outages. In addition to the tornadoes reported across multiple states, winds whipped up wildfires across southern and midwestern states, with more than 130 fires reported in Oklahoma alone and Texas’ largest wildfire, the Windmill Fire, growing from 500 to 18,000 acres in less than a day. Various states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, have declared states of emergency. At least 300,000 power outages were recorded over the weekend, according to the website PowerOutage.us, with nearly 150,000 still without power as of Sunday morning across Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee.
Big Number
100 million. That’s the estimated number of people at risk of this weekend’s severe storms, AccuWeather meteorologists said.
Further Reading
‘Significant’ Tornado Outbreak And Severe Storms Forecast Across Southeast This Weekend—Here’s What To Know (Forbes)
At least 19 dead as severe storms rip through South and Midwest (NBC News)
