Multiple tornadoes, storms, and floods shook Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri, as well as other Southern and Midwestern states this past weekend, leaving behind a trail of victims and damaged infrastructure. Devastating tornadoes coincided with floods and thunderstorms in the Midwest and blizzard warnings were issued in Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado. This extreme weather has resulted in at least 20 casualties, with causes ranging from drowning to electric shocks to car accidents. This extreme weather has also destroyed homes, smashed automobiles, and injured over fifty people.

Tornado in Kansas (Ks0stm/Wikimedia)

The Weather Channel reports that seven separate tornadoes touched down in Texas. Flooding in Missouri shut down I-44 for a day and the I-70 in Kansas was closed due to snow and 35 mile-per-hour winds. Flooding in Madison County, Arkansas, resulted in up to 100,000 homes and businesses losing power. In Mississippi, similar events left over 23,000 Mississippi residents without power.

These extreme weather events have resulted in Governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Governor Eric Greitens of Missouri, and Governor Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, declaring states of emergency on April 30th. Governor Greitens went so far as to deploy all specialized rescue teams and activated the National Guard to help with flood preparations. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott activated Texas Task Force 2 to aid in Canton, the hardest hit town in Texas. Progress has also been made as by May 2 Canton’s power was restored and a triage center set up in Canton High School was closed. Injuries are still a concern, with six people remaining hospitalized from a total of 56 people who received treatment at a hospital in East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System.

The extreme weather continued into Monday, with a severe weather warning in effect for 22 million people in “six states from North Carolina to New York at risk of isolated tornadoes, high winds and large hail.”

Sources and Further Reading:

  1. Tornadoes, storms kill 11 in U.S. South – Reuters
  2. Four Dead after Four Tornadoes Strike East of the DFW Area – NBC
  3. Deadly tornado tears through woman’s dream wedding in East Texas – CBS
  4. At least 13 dead in 4 states as tornadoes and floods wreak havoc in parts of South, Midwest – ABC
  5. Deadly storms hit several states – CNN
  6. At least 7 dead and dozens injured after tornadoes, floods hit the South – Washington Post
  7. Dozens Hospitalized, Several Killed As Severe Weather Hits The South And Midwest – NPR
  8. Midwest, South recovering after deadly weekend storms – Fox
  9. 16 Killed By Storms and Flooding in South, Midwest – Weather Channel
  10. Flash flooding leads Mo. Governor to declare state of emergency, 2 swept away and killed – KMBC News
  11. Governor Declares State Of Emergency For Arkansas – 5 News