Severe storms wreaked havoc across Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas on Sunday, claiming the lives of at least 15 individuals and causing widespread destruction. The devastation included the obliteration of homes and a truck stop where numerous people sought refuge in a restroom during the latest bout of deadly weather to hit the central U.S.
The most severe damage occurred in an area stretching from north of Dallas to the northwest corner of Arkansas. The system threatened to unleash further violent weather across other parts of the Midwest later in the day. Forecasters predicted that by Monday, the highest risk would shift eastward, encompassing a large portion of the country from Alabama to near New York City.
In Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, seven fatalities were reported. Texas Governor Greg Abbott disclosed at a news briefing on Sunday that a tornado on Saturday night had ripped through a rural area close to a mobile home park. Among the deceased were two children aged two and five. The county sheriff confirmed that three members of a family were found dead in one residence.
The storms claimed two lives and caused extensive property damage in Oklahoma, where casualties included attendees of an outdoor wedding. In Arkansas, five individuals were injured, and in Kentucky, one person lost their life. Tens of thousands of residents were left without power across the affected region.
Governor Abbott of Texas reported approximately 100 injuries and over 200 homes and structures destroyed. Speaking from a devastated truck stop near the agricultural community of Valley View, Abbott highlighted the severity of the situation. Valley View was one of the areas most severely impacted, with officials estimating winds reaching up to 135 mph (217 km/h).
Several individuals were taken to medical facilities in Denton County, Texas, which is situated to the north of Dallas, via both ambulance and helicopter. However, the authorities were not initially aware of the complete severity of the injuries.
In Arkansas, the toll rose to at least five fatalities. Among them was a 26-year-old woman discovered deceased outside a demolished residence in Olvey, a small community in Boone County, as reported by Daniel Bolen from the county’s emergency management office. Additionally, one individual perished in Benton County, while two more bodies were found in Marion County, according to officials.
In Oklahoma, officials confirmed the deaths of two individuals in Mayes County, located east of Tulsa.
Tragically, in Kentucky, a man lost his life on Sunday in Louisville when a tree fell on him, as stated by the police. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenburg affirmed via social media that it was a death linked to the storm.
The severe weather resulted in power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the storm’s path.
In Arkansas alone, over 100,000 customers were without power on Sunday. Similarly, in neighbouring Missouri, more than 100,000 individuals experienced power outages along the southern state border. Texas reported 57,000 outages, while Oklahoma recorded 7,400, according to data from the tracking website poweroutage.us.
In Oklahoma, inaccessible roads and downed power lines prompted officials in the town of Claremore, near Tulsa, to declare via social media that the city was “shut down” due to the damage.
