On Friday evening, a powerful storm system swept through the central and southern United States, triggering a series of tornado events. Weather forecasters warned that on Saturday, the southern United States may still experience “violent” tornadoes, strong winds, thunderstorms, and flash floods. Some areas may even see hail as large as baseballs. As of Saturday morning, the severe weather has already resulted in at least 16 deaths.
Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, and Mississippi reported a total of 23 tornadoes on Friday night. It is expected that this dynamic storm system will target southern states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama on Saturday.
The National Storm Prediction Center stated in its latest forecast that “severe tornadoes are expected to occur on Saturday afternoon and evening, some of which should be long-track and potentially violent.”
The storm system sweeping across the United States is part of a large transnational low-pressure system that has already caused at least 10 deaths. It has brought hurricane-force winds to the central United States, leading to a dust storm and exacerbating dangerous fires.
As meteorologists assess the losses on Saturday, the storm is gathering new strength, targeting the southeastern region with the highest risk of deadly tornadoes and severe thunderstorms on Saturday night.
The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings to approximately 2 million people on Saturday. Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are expected to erupt in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, western Georgia, southern Tennessee, the Florida Panhandle, and southern Arkansas on Saturday night.
The severe weather has already led to widespread power outages. According to tracking data from poweroutage.us, as of the time of reporting, around 270,000 customers in five states were without power. Missouri was the most severely affected, with 137,000 customers without power. The other four states with significant power outages include Illinois (42,000), Indiana (37,000), Texas (34,000), and Arkansas (19,000).
As of Saturday morning, the severe weather has caused at least 16 deaths. Missouri has been hit hardest, with at least 10 deaths and multiple injuries reported.
Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that two people were killed in the Bakersfield area of Ozark County. Emergency responders are assessing the damage and providing assistance to those affected.
CNN reported that in Butler County, emergency management director Robbie Myers stated that a tornado struck Poplar Bluff, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. Myers mentioned significant damage to a supermarket, kindergarten, and other buildings. Emergency personnel are working to clear the rubble, and the Black River Coliseum has been opened as a shelter for residents. The Red Cross announced a disaster relief assistance plan on Saturday.
On Friday afternoon, rapid-spreading wildfires began in the Texas Panhandle region of Oklahoma and Texas due to strong winds and dry weather conditions.
According to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, as of Friday night, some areas of the state still had evacuation orders in place as they battled over 130 wildfires across 44 counties.
The Texas A&M Forest Service reported that a large fire in Roberts County, Texas, has consumed approximately 23,000 acres of land, with the current containment rate at only 50%.