At least 33 people were killed and dozens more injured on Saturday as powerful tornadoes and severe storms swept across the central United States, officials reported.
Local news footage showed homes with roofs torn off and large trucks overturned, while forecasters warned that more tornadoes could strike over the weekend.
In Kansas, eight people lost their lives in a crash involving more than 50 vehicles, caused by low visibility during a “severe dust storm,” according to local police.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed 12 storm-related fatalities and shared images of boats piled on top of each other at a marina destroyed by the storm. State police reported downed trees and power lines, along with significant damage to buildings, particularly in areas impacted by tornadoes, thunderstorms, and large hail.
“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through—it happened so fast, our ears were about to burst,” said Alicia Wilson, who was evacuated from her home in Missouri, speaking to TV station KSDK.
Further south in Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves reported six fatalities and three missing persons by late Saturday.
In Texas, authorities confirmed four deaths due to vehicle accidents linked to dust storms and fires that severely reduced visibility on the roads.
In Arkansas, officials reported three fatalities and 29 injuries from the storm. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and said she had spoken with President Donald Trump. “He told me to tell the people of Arkansas he loves them and that he and his administration are here to help with whatever we need following last night’s tornadoes,” Sanders wrote on X.
More tornadoes expected
By Saturday evening, at least 200,000 homes and businesses across the central U.S. were without power, according to poweroutage.us.
Forecasters warned that more tornadoes were likely, particularly across the central Gulf Coast states, including Mississippi and Tennessee.
“Numerous significant tornadoes, some of which could be long-track and potentially violent, should continue into the evening,” the National Weather Service stated.
Tornadoes are spinning columns of air that touch the ground from massive cumulonimbus thunderstorm clouds. Due to unique geographical and meteorological conditions, the central and southern U.S.—particularly Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas—experiences the most violent tornadoes, a region known as “Tornado Alley.” Here, winds of widely varying temperatures meet in volatile storm clouds, with most tornadoes occurring from May to June.
In 2024, tornado-related incidents in the U.S. claimed 54 lives, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
AFP
