Deadly storms kill at least 15 people in Arkansas, Texas
In Texas, two children were killed by powerful storms and tornadoes on Sunday. Homes were also destroyed in Arkansas and Texas.
A wave of severe storms and tornadoes devastated a wide swath of the South over the weekend and left at least 19 people dead in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky. The same storms are threatening to rain out Memorial Day plans on the east coast.
At least eight people died in Arkansas, seven in Texas, four in Kentucky, and two in Oklahoma, amid twisters and storms that demolished hundreds of homes, authorities said.
Seven reported dead in Texas, including two children
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed on Sunday that seven people were killed in the state and at least 100 were injured after severe weather and tornadoes battered northern Texas, around 70 miles north of Fort Worth.
Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said the fatalities included two children, ages 2 and 5.
The tornado plowed through southern Cooke County and parts of Denton County on Saturday night, he told local news station WFAA. He said between 60 and 80 people were seeking shelter from the storm at a travel center.
“It took some time to get back in there because of all the damage with the power lines, and trees were down,” he said.
At least 200 homes and buildings were destroyed and 120 were damaged amid tornadic activity that traversed around 50 square miles in Texas, Abbott said. He said he would be “shocked” if the numbers did not increase as damage assessment continues.
The damage came days after another round of tornadoes wreaked havoc in central Texas, downing power lines and crushing roofs.
“The hopes and dreams of Texas families and small business have literally been crushed by storm after storm,” Abbott said on Sunday.
Abbott added Denton, Montague, Cooke, and Collin counties in northern Texas to a disaster declaration issued earlier this month. After the weekend’s severe weather, the declaration now includes 106 counties.
Texas A&M Task Force 1 will continue to conduct search and rescue missions, Abbott said. State agencies were also in the process of removing debris and distributing aid to affected communities.
Multiple disaster relief organizations have sent volunteers to aid in the relief effort. The Salvation Army said it had mobilized three mobile kitchens to three hard-hit counties in northern Texas. “Our mobile kitchens teams are equipped to provide not just physical nourishment but also emotional and spiritual care to help survivors rebuild their lives,” Major Dwayne Durham, the organization’s incident commander, said in a news release on Sunday.
The American Red Cross in North Texas also announced on X that it had opened a shelter in Valley View, Cooke County, to residents who had lost their homes.
More: ‘Dangerous out there’: 15 dead as tornadoes slam multiple states in the South: Updates
Arkansas reports 8 fatalities as 2 dead in Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, the severe storms left two people dead in the town of Pryor, around 50 miles east of Tulsa, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management confirmed. The storms left around 8,400 people without power.
A tornado in Claremore, Oklahoma, “caused substantial widespread damage,” including “downed trees, power lines, and essential damage to homes,” John Feary, the city’s manager, said at a news conference on Sunday.
The storms left 23 people injured in the town, including three with life-threatening injuries, Feary said, and prompted local police to close roads until noon on Sunday. The Red Cross also opened two shelters in the area in the wake of the storm.
At least eight people died in Arkansas after a tornado plowed through the northwestern part of the state. The National Weather Service confirmed on Sunday night that it had found EF-3 tornado damage near the city of Decatur, around 10 miles east of the Oklahoma border.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an emergency order on Sunday allocating $250,000 for disaster relief.
“I think people are just going to have to become very patient and understand that we are not going to recover from this thing overnight,” Arkansas Rep. Steve Womack said at a news conference on Sunday.
1 dead in Kentucky
At least one person was reported dead in Kentucky after severe storms ripped through Louisville on Sunday afternoon. The NWS confirmed at least one tornado in Mayfield, near the southwest corner of the state.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued a state of emergency early Monday morning.
“Severe weather continues to move through the commonwealth with multiple reports of wind damage and tornadoes,” he wrote in a post to X a few minutes after midnight.
With around 78,000 people out of power across the state as of Monday morning, 700 line workers and support personnel will travel to the state to assist in the effort to restore power, the Louisville Courier-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
More: Wildfires in Southwest as central, southern U.S. brace for Memorial Day severe weather
Storm expected to move east on Memorial Day
The storm is forecast to weaken as it moves over the eastern seaboard and the Southeast on Monday. Still, some damaging wind gusts and a risk of isolated tornadoes expected in the afternoon could upend Memorial Day plans across the East Coast.
Stormy weather, including isolated severe thunderstorms, are expected to return to central Texas and some parts of Oklahoma on Monday afternoon and continue overnight, according to the National Weather Service.
A severe thunderstorm watch was also issued through Monday afternoon for parts of Georgia and South Carolina – the area could see hail of up to 1 inch and one or two tornadoes, the weather service said.
Southern Arkansas, northern Louisiana, and parts of Mississippi and Alabama could see winds of up to 75 mph, according to AccuWeather.
Contributing: Reuters
Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at [email protected]. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
