At least 19 killed after tornados hit multiple states Memorial Day weekend
A series of violent tornadoes tore through Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas over Memorial Day weekend, leaving at least 19 people dead, hundreds injured and thousands without power. The storms also flattened homes and caused widespread damage across the central United States.
The worst damage occurred in a region from north of Dallas to the northwest corner of Arkansas, The Associated Press reported, adding that authorities warned that the dangerous weather system could bring more storms to the Midwest and East Coast in the coming days, impacting areas from Alabama to near New York City.
In Texas, seven people were killed in Cooke County, near the Oklahoma border, as a tornado tore through a rural area near a mobile home park on Saturday night. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed the fatalities, which included two children, ages 2 and 5. Three family members were found dead in one home, according to the county sheriff. In total, about 100 people were injured and more than 200 homes and structures were destroyed.
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Speaking from a devastated truck stop near Valley View, Abbott described the destruction: “The hopes and dreams of Texas families and small businesses have literally been crushed by storm after storm.” The truck stop, located in a small agricultural community, was among the hardest-hit areas, with winds reaching an estimated 135 mph.
The governor issued a disaster proclamation for Denton, Cooke, Montague and Collin counties in Texas. The National Weather Service teams were assessing the damage in these counties, as well as in Montague, Cooke, Denton and Collins counties, to determine the strength of the tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
The storms also claimed lives in other states.
At least eight people were reported killed in Arkansas, including a 26-year-old woman found dead outside a destroyed home in Olvey, a small community in Boone County, according to Daniel Bolen of the county’s emergency management office, CBS News reported.
In Marion County, two more bodies were found, and in Benton County, three people died.
In Oklahoma, two people died in Mayes County, and in Kentucky, a man was killed when a tree fell on him in Louisville.
The death toll across the three states had reached 19 as of early Monday morning, according to CNN.
The destruction left tens of thousands without power across the region.
Arkansas saw over 80,000 customers without power by late Sunday, while Missouri had more than 90,000 outages, Texas had 27,000 and Oklahoma had 3,000, according to poweroutage.us.
In Oklahoma, the town of Claremore, near Tulsa, was effectively shut down due to inaccessible roads and downed power lines. Local officials issued warnings and urged residents to seek shelter as the storms moved through the area. “If you are in the path of this storm take cover now!” the National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma, posted on social media.
The severe weather follows a grim month of deadly storms in the Midwest.
Tornadoes in Iowa the previous week left at least five people dead and dozens injured, adding to the historically bad tornado season. April saw the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the United States.
The National Weather Service continues to issue warnings and assess the damage caused by the tornadoes. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, and the death toll may rise as more areas are surveyed.
